


A Brave New World

by yasminakohl



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Anal Plug, Anal Sex, Knotting, Knotting Dildos, M/M, Mpreg, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Iron Man 1, Post-Iron Man 2, Pre-Everything Else
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:19:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 35,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4456373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yasminakohl/pseuds/yasminakohl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world had changed more than he could imagine since he went under. Though truthfully it had begun before he was born but it was kept quiet, those who had changed had hid it and lived in secret. Three generations later, almost three quarters of the world population had changed. </p>
<p>Steve noticed something about three months after he was found. </p>
<p>It was the way certain people smelled, then they would be gone for a week, and when they came back the smell was gone. A few times Steve could see bruises on their wrists and a hickey or well, sometimes ten.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm insane. No really I know this it's okay.   
> This is my first A\B\O attempted so if it goes sideways forgive me.   
> The plot bunnies attacked with this idea of the human race changing while Steve was frozen, and then it wouldn't go away.

The world had changed more than he could imagine since he went under. Though truthfully it had begun before he was born but it was kept quiet, those who had changed had hid it and lived in secret. Three generations later, almost three quarters of the world population had changed. 

 

 

Steve noticed something about three months after he was found. 

It was the way certain people smelled, then they would be gone for a week, and when they came back the smell was gone. A few times Steve could see bruises on their wrists and a hickey or well, sometimes ten. 

No one ever commented on the marks so he made a point not to stare and not to mention them either. 

When he moved into the tower with the others he found the reason by accident a few months later.

Clint was in the common area. Steve could smell the earthy scent that had shown up on the others before they disappeared in the hall, once he was in the room it was ten times worse. He could see Clint sitting on the couch, his eyes closed, breathing very slowly and shallow; like he didn't want to smell the scent himself.

Steve walked around the couch and watched him, he didn't react when Clint's eye opened and stared at him with an emotion he couldn't decipher.

"You smell wrong." Clint said not blinking.

"I'm sorry." Steve said though he didn't know if it was an apology or not.

"God I fucking hate this. Stupid biology." Clint dropped his head back on to the couch. He took a deep breath and squirmed. "Did they uh...fuck." Clint ground to a halt and took several deep breaths. "Did they tell you how much the world has changed?"

"I think I have a fair idea." Steve replied. He had figured out most of the technology thrown at him since waking.

"No not that. The other stuff. Bet they thought you were to shy to tell you." Clint groaned. "Fuck I'm not sure I can tell you either. Fuck. Where's Natasha? She needs to hurry...thank fucking God." He said and Steve watched him visibly relax. A minute later Natasha stepped off the elevator and walked over to Clint and jabbed a needle in his neck.

"God Nat. I could fucking kiss you for that."

"Yes your sanity is restored." Natasha quipped sarcastically. "Are you alright?" She asked he voice changing and the sincerity and love showing through now.

"In about five minutes I'll be perfect." Clint relaxed further when Nat brushed a lock of his hair away from his ear. "Go, I know it drives you nuts."

"It's fine."

"Go. Steve's here. It will be fine."

Natasha nodded, a small soft smile showing before she nodded again in Steve's direction. 

When she was gone Steve sat down in the love seat and waited for Clint to speak again. He knew the instant the medication hit Clint's system. The scent died down and Clint sat up looking at him.

"So uh the whole world changed thing is sort of a sex talk?" Clint said but by way of a question.

"I had the sex talk years ago Clint. Have even had sex." Steve said his face tinged pink but he managed to keep his tone dry and unimpressed. Why did everyone think he was some blushing vestal virginal bride on her wedding night that thought washing her nickers with her husbands was how babies were made?

"Yeah see that's kind of the problem." Clint groaned and draped himself over his legs. "Just uh give me a couple more minutes. This shit hurts sometimes."

Steve sat back and waited again. Clint sat up as Tony walked in. "Already Barton?"

"No, it's still all fucked up from Loki." Clint groaned a hand pressed to his stomach. "Nat brought something from SHEILD that's suppose to help. Fuck I need to go take a nap 'till these cramps die down. Look can you..." Clint hissed as he stood up, Tony grabbed his arm and helped the arched get his feet steady.

"Uh no, dude all for helping but I draw-"

"No you asshole, talk to Steve. They didn't fucking tell him."

Tony's head snapped in Steve's direction, his eyes wide in surprise. "Of fuck Barton. I'd rather fuck you." 

"Bite me Stark. Just do it." With that Clint used the wall as support till he made it to the elevator. 

Tony groaned, his head dropping to his chest. "How the fuck have you been topside all these months and they never fucking told you?"

"Told me what? I know what sex is." Steve reiterated.

"No you know what sex was." Tony said. "Fuck made it a whole three days without a drink." He yanked the stopper out of the decanter and poured a glass, downed it and then poured two more. He brought the second glass and handed it to Steve. "I know it doesn't do anything for you but take it so I don't feel like a drunk; or more of one."

Steve took the glass and held it. He sat back again in the love seat and waited.

"So uh over the last hundred and ten years give or take, the human race has been mutating. Well it's always mutating but this was a huge race wide mutation." Tony began. "Most people are born with the new mutation, like Barton. Some people had it happen at puberty; like uh me. We're not totally sure about Natasha because of what happened to her in The Red Room and she doesn't remember. Bruce is already such a mess but he's sure he never had the mutation either way. And well, Thor's not for here so he sort of doesn't count."

Steve was trying sat stay calm but Tony wasn't making it easy. He hadn't really said anything yet.

"I'm shit at this. Sorry." Tony must have noticed Steve's irritation. "Look you know about blood types right? O's and A's and B's right?"

"Sort of. Was mention during Project Rebirth and a few times when one of the Commando's got hurt."

"Ok so there's four blood types. A, B, O and AB. Then there's two sub groups to each, positive and negative. I'm A+. Pretty common. I can give blood to about half the population. You're O- you can give to everyone but can only get from someone with the same. Or well you might live anyways with the serum."

"Tony." Steve said, his patients thinning again.

"Yes I'm stalling." Tony said. He drained the rest of his drink. "The mutation is that instead of just two genders there's now three sub genders. Alpha, Omega and Beta. Barton was born an Omega male. He uh, he menstruates every other month for about a week. Or is suppose to, but Loki screwed it up somehow and it keeps coming about every two weeks now. During that time he can get pregnant and theoretically carry a child to term. Mother Nature hasn't changed us enough yet, so if he did get pregnant he would have to have a c-section."

"And you?"

"I mutated to a Male Alpha at 14. I'm the only one in the tower who could get Barton pregnant. Natasha is a Female Alpha. But The Red Room, they took uh, well. Anyways."

"I get it. We had health classes, not much on details but there was enough. She doesn't remember if she changed at puberty?"

"No there's large chunks that are blurry or missing. And a female Alpha, well they wouldn't notice anyways. They are able to get pregnant by an Omega but it's hard for them. The biggest issue we have found is male Omega's changing at puberty. There have been several cases of fatalities." Tony watched Steve blanch. "Their bodies can't handle the sudden organ growth. Each generation there are fewer puberty changes and more at birth. We figure about two more generations and there won't be any more Trads."

"Trads?" Steve asked.

"Traditional, you're a TM or Trad Male. Pepper's a Trad Female or a TF."

Steve rubbed his temple. There had to be a punchline to this horrid joke. He couldn't be part of a dying gender. 

"So far there is no scientific explanation. Bible thumpers are going with a punishment from God, environmentalists are going with to many chemicals in the foods we eat and water we drink and the vaccines we give our kids. Evolutionist say it's just another phase of human evolution, some scientists agree. Some say that it's more of a de-evolution. Some say it's Mother Nature trying her hand at population control through a sexual pandemic, but a pandemic generally means a disease that kills large numbers of the popul-."

"I know what a pandemic is Tony. I was part of two. I had Scarlett and rheumatic fever."

"Right. I knew that." Tony shook his head and waved a hand in Steve's direction.

"So if I wanted to have children," Steve swallowed and pushed on, "I would have to find someone like Miss. Potts?"

"Yeah. Call her Pepper. She will kick your ass if you call her that."

"You and Jarvis do." Steve pointed out.

"She regularly kicks my ass to. Metaphorically speaking, because Pepper doesn't fight." Tony shrugged.

Steve nodded once. "Dr. Banner?"

"I'm a Trad Male, but because of The Hulk, I'm an Alpha Male to," Bruce answered from the doorway.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No it's fine. Finally got around to asking who's what?"

Steve's face burned red.

"They never told him." Tony explained for him. "Barton's cycle is still out of whack, apparently Steve walked in before Nat got him the suppressor shit from SHEILD."

"I had noticed it before, at SHEILD. Certain staff would smell different all of the sudden, earthy, warm. Then they would be gone for a week, but some would come back bruised. No one made any mention of them so I didn't either but I noticed the scent would be gone."

Tony groaned, "Crap. Uh Heat Cycle 101? Puberty Omegas tend to put up a fight, Borns are kind of softer?" Tony's voice raised in question, his gaze on Bruce for conformation.

"Yeah, they have more of the hormones that Trad Females get after they, uh...well."

Steve sighed heavily, "I. Have. Had. Sex." Each word coming out as its own sentence.

"Sorry, it's hard to know what you know because you grew up in a time were we've been lead to believe you didn't talk about sex." Bruce offered.

"Guys I was in the army during war. I doubt there's much I haven't heard."

"Sorry. So Borns have more of the hormones Trad Females produce when they orgasm. Damn that's hard to say to him." Bruce says looking at Tony.

"Hey I had to do the whole rest of the damn sex talk." Tony countered.

"So what makes you an Alpha?" Steve asked.

Tony groaned, "Can you forget that part please?"

"And I'm out of here." Bruce said and rushed out of the room before Tony finished stealing Steve's tumbler of scotch.

"Is this a thing I need to Google?"

"No, God no. You might actually see me on there. There are uh a few leaked sex tapes of me on the Internet." Tony sighs. "This is so much harder to explain."

"Harder to explain than Clint being a man born with a uterus and a path from somewhere to that uterus so that he can get pregnant but not a path for the baby to come out of?"

"Fuck, yeah. And uh the path is literally through his ass." Tony offered.

Steve shook his head and rolled his eyes, of course it was.

Tony tried to wait out the question, but he realized Steve wasn't going to give in. "Alpha Males have a knot just like most of the animal kingdom." Tony said giving in.

"A knot?"

Tony buried his face in his hands, if Howard could only see this conversation. Howard would die all over again. "There is a glad on my dick that swells and keeps my come from leaking out so that the chances of pregnancy increase." 

Steve raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"Not so far? I don't know, hadn't gotten around to having sex before it happened. As for my partners, not so far there either. Truthfully feels like a really long drawn out orgasm. I can come without knotting but if I do knot, it's less intense initially but like I said drawn out."

Steve shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "What about Betas, you said there was three."

"Yeah Betas, their kinda a place holder." Tony offered. "They can have sex with everyone, but females can't get pregnant by anyone and males rarely knock anyone up."

"That's sad."

"Yeah Rhodes a Beta and he hates it." 

"How do they figure this is population control?"

"Oh it's just a theory. Partially because of Betas."

Steve nodded. "Will Clint be alight?"

"Yeah SHEILD doesn't want to put him on a longer term suppressant until he levels back out. So they only give him something to shorten it when it happens. He's gone through a couple full length ones but it didn't help." Tony shrugged again.

"Is there anything we can do to help him?"

"The only other suggestion anyone has is to get him pregnant. He's not real happy with that idea."

"Oh."

"He has some friends who are having trouble so he thought about doing the whole surrogate thing but their blood types don't match so that wouldn't work."

"Surrogate?" Steve asked, afraid of the answer.

Tony's shoulders slumped, "I hate you right now Rogers. He gets knocked long enough for the baby to be stable then its transferred into his friend and she finishes the pregnancy."

"This is a thing?"

"Can be. Most of the time it's an egg fertilized in a lab and implanted but the last few years they've figured out how to do it this way to."

"Can he find someone who's type does match?"

"SHEILD's looking internally but no ones really looking to get pregnant. Most agents don't have families for a reason."

Steve nodded, what they all did was dangerous.

"So can we be done with the sex talk?" Tony asked hopefully.

Steve shrugged, "Is there more I need to know?"

"No idea."

"I can figure it out if I come across something else." Steve offered.

"Thank you. Sitting in here smelling Barton has been torture." Tony bolted from the room as fast as he could.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve shook his head. Why hadn't Tony said anything. They could have moved to another room. 

Steve wondered down to the gym, but instead just aimlessly walked around but he felt like couldn't settle enough to do anything. He knew he was worried about Clint. He gave in and took the stairs to Clint's floor. He knocked and heard a summons from the other side. He followed the voice into Clint's bedroom. "I wanted to make sure your alright. See if you wanted or needed anything."

"Thanks. I'm fine. God I can't get over how you smell though." Clint whimpered.

"How do I smell?" Steve wondered out loud.

"Like an Alpha but not. You smell strong and ug sorry but kind of nummy. But there's this underlying smell that's just wrong. Honestly if it wasn't for that underlying smell I might not have been able to keep my hands or well my whole body to myself this morning before Nat showed up."

"You haven't noticed it before?"

"No I only pick up these things when my heat starts. It's my body's way of finding a strong Alpha to make strong babies." Clint grumbled. "I haven't been around you while I've been in one so..."

"Oh."

"So Tony actually give you the talk or did he bail?"

"Both. He explained, answered a few questions, I made him uncomfortable and then he bailed."

"How did you make Tony uncomfortable?"

"I asked what made him an Alpha."

"Oh yeah, the knot." Clint's face went red and his breathing shuddered for a moment and then he squirmed in his bed. He let out a groan and gasped. "Sorry." He apologized with a ragged gasp. "This suppressor not working as well as the others. Just the though of a knot right now, well sounds way to good."

Steve caught Clint's scent again and the smell of something else. 

"God damn it." Clint said with a whine. 

"What do you need?" Steve asked, the pain evident on the archer's face. 

"What you ain't got Cap. And I'm sure you ain't willing either." Clint groaned, rolling onto his back. 

Steve saw the sweat streaming down his brow. He found the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth and drenched it in cool water. "Jarvis can you find Natasha and tell her about Clint?"

"Certainly."

Steve returned to the bedroom and Clint's side. He sat gingerly on the bed and wiped the sweat from Clint's face. 

"Oh god that feels good." Clint whispered, leaning his face into the touch. "Why can't you smell good? Knot or not."

Steve's face went red. He realized Clint had kicked off the sheet and now Steve could see his hardened cock tenting the black shorts and that they were drenched near his ass.

"I asked Jarvis to get Natasha."

"She can't help at this point. My scent will make her sick. Male Omegas in heat repulse female Alphas. I need an Alpha like Tony. Oh god I could just kill Loki."

"Agent Romanoff says its in the drawer." Jarvis's voice made both men jump.

"Go fuck. God, Cap you've got to leave. Think I'm going to be out for a while. Think I'm going to have to go through a full heat again." Each word was forced out of Clint's lips. 

"Can I help at all?"

"Only if you want to fuck me. Or fuck me with the toy in the drawer that looks and feels like an Alpha's cock." Clint whimpered. 

Steve watched as the darkness in his shorts spread and saturate the sheets of the bed. "Will it help if I do?"

Clint thrashed his head side to side. "Yes. Maybe. God this hurts." 

Clint's breathing was erratic at best. Steve was worried he'd have a heart attack or a stroke or something if he didn't get the man calmed down. He took a deep breath but found that was a bad idea because now he was light headed from Clint's scent. "I can't believe I'm going to do this." Steve shook his head, he opened the drawer and found the cock replica, but it looked like nothing he had ever seen before.

He pulled Clint's shorts down, ignoring the man's hard purpling cock. Tony's words came back to him, the knot was to keep the seaman in, and he was a Trad Male. The chance of getting Clint pregnant should be zero. "Clint have you been with anyone since Loki?"

"No." The answer was a whine. Clint couldn't be still, his legs shifted restlessly, his head thrashed his hand fisted and pulled at the sheets.

"Will you let me help you?"

"Yes." This answer was a scream.

"I don't have a knot but the toy does. Maybe if I..." Steve swallowed, this is why they all thought him chaste, "maybe if I come in you and use the toy it will trick your body enough to - reset." Steve offered lamely.

"Try it try it please I don't care. God it hurts so bad right now. Never this bad...never."

Steve was a bit startled to find how hard he was. Though it happened after he breathed Clint's scent in. Pheromones was his guess. He stood and undressed quickly. He'd never been with a man before but Clint was so wet he doubted there was much difference.

"What do I need to do for you?" Steve trailed a finger up Clint's cock. If he was going to do this he was going to make damn sure it was to the best of his abilities.

"Nothing...nothing. I'll come when the knot's in meeee." Clint cried.

Steve knelt over the archer, "Is there a way you prefer?"

"No...God can't think, no more questions, just put that in me." Clint pointed to Steve's cock.

Steve raised and eyebrow, but did as asked. He gathered Clint up in his arms and kissed him before slowly pressing into Clint's drenched ass.

Both men broke the kiss when Steve was all the way seated. 

"Oh thank god." Clint groaned hoarsely.

"How careful do I need to be?" Steve asked softy.

"Not at all. Fuck me as hard as you can." Clint groaned every word.

Steve took a deep breath, in for a penny...

He changed his hold on Clint and again did as asked. With in minutes Clint could do nothing but keen. It had started with a litany of yes's but it soon turned to ye's then just to the y sound itself.

Steve hadn't had sex before the serum but he knew his stamina now exceeded most people's. 

"Steve...Steve. Oh god, so good. Oh fuck. God fill me." Clint's little whimpers were testing Steve. "Oh, oh, God I want to come on your cock so bad."

"I wish you could." Steve offered. 

"After... after. Wanna do it with out heat." 

"Let's get you through it first." Steve said unsure if he would want to do this again.

"Yeah yeah right yeaaaah."

Steve shifted Clint again, laying him out on the bed and lifting his hips up for a better angle. This set Clint's ass fluttering around Steve's cock pulling him to his orgasm. 

"God Clint. You better be ready."

"Yes yes....God yes."

Steve let himself fall much sooner than he could have. He cried out, then hmmmmfed as he finished. He ground himself against Clint's ass as the final spasms worked their way through him. He wanted to collapse now that he was finished, but Clint still needed him.

Blindly he reached for the toy, he lifted Clint's hips higher making sure his come stayed inside and carefully he pushed the toy in. Clint keened again, a higher sound this time. 

"The button...on the bottom." Clint cried out.

Steve saw the small circle on the bottom and pressed it. It made a noise and Steve watched it swell to the exact size of Clint's ass, then something in it made it pulse. He slowly lower Clint down to the bed and pressed his knee against the toy to keep it lodged in the man.

Clint arched his back and thrashed his head again. "God please kiss me. Please."

Steve did as asked with a smile. He grabbed Clint's face between both hands and kissed him gently. Inspiration hit and he rocked his knee back and forth, pressing and releasing the false knot.

Clint broke the kiss and screamed out his release. Steve watched as Clint's cock shot stream after stream of come onto his stomach. When he stopped, Steve kissed his forehead and cheeks. "How long does it need to stay?"

"Mmm." Clint was dazed, his eyes heavily glazed, his breathing shifting from shallow pant to deeply relaxed.

"Clint, how long does the knot need to stay?" Steve tried again.

"Um," Clint tried to focus on Steve, "uh." He licked his lips, his eyes slowly closing then opening just as slowly, "oh uh half hour or more. Can put my shorts back on but it kinda won't go anywhere till the buttons pressed again."

Steve moved his knee away and the toy stayed. Steve climbed off the bed as to not jostle Clint. He walked to the bathroom and re-wet the washcloth and a few more. He cleaned himself up and then wiped Clint up as well. He hissed when Steve cleaned his cock head but otherwise made no sounds. Steve raised the rags and laid them on the tub to dry. He returned to Clint and sat down next to him. Remembering the way he leaned into Nat's touch Steve caressed Clint's face, Clint turned into his hand and rubbed his face into Steve's palm. Steve spent the next forty minutes caressing Clint, never letting more than a second pass without a touch. Clint started to surface after that. His eyes cleared and he reached towards the toy but Steve pressed his hand to the bed and found the button, he watched Clint relax further into the bed and moan. Steve picked up a clean cloth from the towel on the floor, then pulled the toy free, dropping it onto the towel.

Gently he cleaned his come from Clint. "Sorry it's cool. I should have warmed it." Steve apologized.

"No cool is better." Clint whispered. "Still a little over heated."

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Glass of water?"

Steve nodded, he took his bundle of cloth and toy and dropped it in the bathroom. There was no glass so he went to the kitchen, it took him three cupboards before he prevailed. 

"Sir?"

"Yeah Jarvis?"

"Agent Romanoff says thank you."

Steve's face flamed red. He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed per say. But defiantly not use to people knowing exactly when he'd had sex. "I am not sure how to respond to that."

"I am not sure she is expecting a response sir."

"Good." Steve went back to Clint and helped him sit up to drink the water.

"How do you feel?" Steve asked once half the water was drank.

"Better. Nothing hurts, well yeah we'll just go with that."

"Was I to rough?" Steve asked.

"No, it was perfect. It's just been a long time. This isn't something I like about my biology. I've only had five cycles. My first, one while undercover for the mission, that sucked. And three since Loki. And all three of those I've been by myself."

"Maybe that's why they aren't leveling out?" Steve asked.

"Maybe. SHEILD didn't think it would matter."

"This is a reproductive thing, it makes more sense that having someone with you would be better."

"Yeah. I just don't trust a lot of people. You're only the second person."

Steve tried to hide his shock. 

"My first I was alone. I was in a troupe with all Trads, save one Beta. And she wasn't going to be much help."

"No I suppose not."

"That mission was the first and last time. I didn't really trust him, as much as I trusted Nat to keep me safe. But it was hard for her. I smell like rotting fish to her when my heat is going."

"Oh. You smell like warm clay to me. All of the Omegas I've come across do. Well maybe not the clay part, just warm earth. You smell different from them. Maybe it's because they weren't born?"

"How do you know they weren't?" Clint asked, he rolled onto his side, curling around Steve.

"Um I asked about the marks I saw on them, Tony and Bruce said-"

"Oh yeah, that's not always a tell though. Some of us like it rough."

"Oh." Steve ran his hand over Clint's hair, petting him like a cat.

"Thank you for this."

"It's fine."

"Really, you're not even gay."

"Um, that's not true. Well only half true. I'm attracted to both."

"Your bisexual?"

"Yes?"

"Dude it means you like both sexes."

"Yes." Steve answered with more conviction.

Steve listened to Clint's breathing settle into a deep pattern, he wanted to move to see if Clint was asleep but he didn't want to wake him up.

"Agent Barton is in a deep sleep. I think it will be fine for you to move." Jarvis spoke softly.

Steve slid out from under the sleeping Omega and covered him with the blankets, his skin cool to the touch finally.

Steve grabbed his clothes and dressed in the bathroom to muffle the sounds. He rinsed the last rag and washed the toy. His stomach growled as he reached for the handle, he hung his head and changed his plans. He had hoped to go back to his room to shower and change but decided he better eat first.


	3. Chapter 3

He ate a bowl of cereal while he waited for the eggs to set up enough to make an omelet. He downed a Gatorade as Tony walked in.

"Did you roll all over Barton or something?"

"Okay so can everyone smell this or what?" Steve asked throwing his hands in the air.

"Not everyone. Just Alphas and Omegas in heat. Now answer the question."

"No I didn't roll all over him. I, hell I don't even know what to call it. We had sex then I used the toy that looks like you and tried to help him. He said this suppressant wasn't working." Steve shivered at the memory of Clint in pain, "God Tony he looked like he was being turned inside out."

"Damn, Hill thought this would be the one."

"It wasn't. Or maybe it was 'till I opened my big mouth."

Cocking a hip against the counter, Tony asked, "What did you say?"

Steve shrugged. He didn't want to tell Tony he was feeling bad about making Tony feel bad.

"Come on Cap own up."

Steve sighed, he sort of wanted to start the day over and never have this conversation. "I was telling him about upsetting you."

"How did that set him off?"

"Uh your," Steve waved a hand in the direction of Tony's groin.

"Oh."

Steve finished off the omelet but cut it in half to share with Tony. "He says I smell wrong." Steve said out of no where, half way through the late breakfast.

"You smell fine to me." Tony offered.

"He said I smelled like an Alpha but there was something underneath that wasn't right."

Tony stared at Steve, he got up and walk over to Steve. "Just sit still." Tony said before leaning in and taking a deep breath at the juncture of his neck. Something in Steve shifted and he felt himself begin to harden again. He bit off the moan before it escaped.

"Hm there is something different."

"What do you smell like?" Steve asked, curiosity the only tone in his voice.

Tony shrugged, "I can't smell myself." He knelt and pointed to a small rise in his shoulder. "Smell right there. It's were my scent gland is."

"Another part of the mutation?"

Tony nodded.

Steve shrugged and leaned in, his cheek brushing Tony's. He took a deep breath. Tony smelt of cedar and salty like the ocean. He leaned back and opened his eyes in time to see Tony shiver. Steve felt a rush, a bit light headed. It felt good but at the same time scared him. "You smell like a cedar grove met the ocean." Steve was proud of his voice, it was steady and not a bit husky.

"You smell like a pine tree after a rain storm." Tony offered.

Steve shrugged. Tony stood up and sat back in his chair. "There are a few other things that are starting to show up." Tony said after a few minutes.

Steve waited for Tony to continue. "Some Omegas have another gland. If they do the Alphas are drawn to it when they have sex. Some of the marks you've seen might be from that. If an Alpha bites it while having sex with an Omega they...there's sort of connection made. The Alpha can feel if the Omega is sick or stressed, a few cases they even knew they were hurt."

"And no one can figure out why?"

Tony shrugged, "Not my expertise, but no one knows for sure. Might never know. We still can't figure out how life started on the planet to begin with. Religious ideologies as aide." Tony added before the Catholic solider could mention it.

"Right."

"Are you alright with what happened with Clint?" Tony asked, now that the religion was mentioned, Tony thought it was a good idea.

"I told Clint I've always been attracted to both sexes. I hadn't ever acted on that before." Steve shrugged, his blood still rushing a little faster than usual. "I wouldn't have done it if it would have bothered me. Though I think his scent gave me a pretty big shove."

"Yeah? It's hard to ignore it sometimes. The huge down side to this is sexual assaults have risen since the numbers of Trads has dropped. To many Alphas too hormoned out to think rationally."

"Glad no ones blaming the Omegas."

"Rarely. Once in a while some kid will be a dumbass and knowingly go out in public but the fear of what could happen keeps 99.9% of them some place safe."

"The drug, the suppressant Clint was taking, is it offered to everyone?"

"Not yet. They are all experimental. It's hard to test things now because no species on the planet has sub genders."

Steve nodded, animal testing wasn't his favorite thing but it had saved countless lives; including his own he was sure.

Steve finished off the last of his breakfast, he dropped off his plate in the dishwasher. "I know it's uncomfortable to explain these things to me. And I appreciate it. It is something they should have told me fairly early after I was found."

"Yeah. They were just asking for some sort of incident where you didn't understand what was going on." Tony offered.

Steve frowned, "Probably. I'm going to go take a shower."

"Thank you. If it wasn't for your scent mixed in with Barton's I'd probably left before you flipped the omelet." 

"Is it that strong?"

"No just that alluring. But he's my teammate. And not really my type."

Steve laughed, walking away to his floor. Random thoughts flittered through his mind. In the shower he wondered what Natasha's scent was. What he smelt like to her. Who else was a Trad. If anybody he knew before had had the mutation and had been hiding it. 

After his shower he decided to take a nap. The day's events had him feeling a little rung out. He slept for a few hours and when he woke he asked Jarvis how Clint was doing.

"He is much improved, Captain. Your 'reset' seemed to have worked."

"Uh thanks." Steve's fought the urge to hide his face under his sheets.

Feeling lazy for the first time in forever he rolled onto his side and just let his mind wander a bit longer. He fell asleep again and didn't wake 'till morning.

He still felt the desire to do nothing so he continued to lay in bed. He wasn't surprised when Natasha came in a few minutes later. She sat on the edge of his bed, her expression soft.

"Thank you."

Steve nodded.

"He hates this part of himself. Hates that it can take over his life."

"I can understand that. Sick to many times to not be able to at least sympathies."

It was Natasha's turn to nod. After a moment she added, "There is a slightly small chance that you could have..." She trailed off.

Steve's face went red, white and back to red. "Um uh, the serum. Damn it."

"Yeah it's not likely but it it's a possible outcome."

"What happens, if it does, will be solely up to Clint. I will do whatever he wants, be whatever he needs." Steve offered.

"He isn't thinking that far ahead yet. He still reveling in the first sign of stability since Loki."

"Should I talk to him?"

"Not now, not about that, in a few days maybe."

"Okay." Steve rolled onto his back.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Think their worth a nickel now, inflation." Steve teased. Then winced when something bounced off his eyebrow. He picked it up and laughed at the silver coin in his hand.

Natasha smiled at the sound. It was the first time she had heard it. 

"I was just wondering if I knew anyone before that had changed." Steve shrugged. "It was hard enough for me to hide that I like the guys as much as the girls. Well not really, no one really looked at me anyways, but still. To have to hide that kind of a secret."

"I'm not sure how you missed the bit in history about Male Omega rights. Some tried to push them down in the food chain so to speak."

Steve shook his head to this, for all the changes in the world it stayed the same. After a few minutes he spoke again, "So I've got another thought." 

Natasha raised an eyebrow in anticipation.

Steve squirmed at her reaction but pushed on. "Clint said I smelled wrong." Natasha's blank face was not helping. "Tony said there was something odd to. He said I smelled like a pine tree after a rain storm."

Steve watched Natasha lean in and breath deeply, when she drew back her face flashed surprise but it was gone just as quickly. "Yes pine trees and a rain storm."

"So is that a good or a bad thing?" Steve asked.

"Neither, what is odd is that you're a Trad. They don't have a scent."

"Oh. Yeah no that make sense. Uh that was not supposed to be a pun." Steve chuckled at his folly.

Natasha smiled, she hadn't ever seen Steve this relaxed and happy. Sexed Steve seemed to equaled de-stressed Steve.

"Can I ask what you smell like?" Steve's face was red. "Unless it's like asking your age or some other socially unacceptable questions to ask a lady."

"Most of the time it's just a sex thing." 

Steve's face went molten red. And he'd asked Tony...jeez, he just couldn't keep from messing up in this century.

Natasha laughed, "Its alright, Steve. You don't know. It's the equivalent of asking a girl if it's okay to kiss them."

"So when I mentioned it to Tony and he didn't say anything?" Steve asked trying no calm his embarrassment. 

"It's Tony, he sleeps with everyone. I'm sure he's slept with both genders and all three sub genders, and at some point probably all at the same time."

"Your probably right."

Natasha stood up and laid down next to Steve on top of the blankets, "Right here," she said pointing to the same location as Tony.

"No it's alright I don't-"

"I'm offering Steve. At some point in all of our lives we've done this. You're just getting a crash course. It's like playing spin the bottle."

"Yeah never did that either." Steve whispered. 

"Now's your chance."


	4. Chapter 4

Steve rolled over and leaned in taking a deep breath. Natasha smelled like lilacs and the ocean. "So Male Alphas smell like trees and the ocean and a Female Alphas smell like flowers and the ocean?"

"Something like that. What did Clint smell like to you?"

"Warm clay? All the Omegas I've come across seem to smell like warm earth, sun baked maybe? I don't how to explain it. Maybe that's not even what they really smell like. I'm a Trad, what do I know." Steve said trailing off.

"No that's sort of what science is figuring out. The perfume industry is in a tizzy trying to figure out scents by sub gender. They are trying to figure out how to enhance, how to mask it completely, and how to change it."

"That seems a little duplicitous."

"Yeah but sometimes needed. If I was undercover and needed to play the part of a Female Omega..."

"Yes I understand there will be situations like that but it won't always be used for that."

"No there will always be people who will want to be something other than what they are. Alright lazy, come on let's go spar. The sexual education of Steven Rogers is dismissed for today."

Steve laughed while turning impossibly red. "Sure, you can throw me around for being fresh."

"Something like that." She called as she closed his door. 

Steve dressed after deciding to skip the shower knowing he'd just need one after their training. Natasha maybe the smallest of them but she was also the fastest and most agile of them. She always made Steve work for his attacks. Today was no different. There were large blocks of time where he wasn't able to lay a finger on her, let alone a hit.

They called a halt around noon in deference to Steve's stomach and his super metabolism. He'd skipped breakfast being lazy so there was no chance of skipping lunch. He could go two days in battle with out food but if it wasn't necessary Steve didn't do it. 

They turned up to Clint sizzling something in the large wok, watched as he flipped it's contents in an arc over and over.

Natasha snorted, "Show off."

"But you love me."

"I love that you aren't making me gag right now."

"And for that you love Steve." Clint answered, spilling out the contents of the wok in to bowls set on the counter. Two almost overflowing bowls, one heaped bowl and two average sized bowls.   
The bowls were set on the table with plates rice to match the helpings in the bowls. 

"You always make it look easy." Steve grumbled slightly. When it was his turn to cook he either didn't cook enough or over cooked so much they had left overs for days.

Clint laughed, "Circus folk don't have time to be hungry and they don't have storage for leftovers."

"Don't let him fool you, it's an Omega thing. Never met one who wasn't perfect in the kitchen. And I do NOT mean that as an insult, merely an observation." Tony said striding in, pulling the fridge open and pulling their varied preferred drinks out. 

As soon as Tony set the drinks down at the right place Natasha reached over and smacked him in the back of the head.

Tony turned and stared at her. "Normally I would kill anyone who did that, but I'm afraid you'd kill me first, so instead I'll just ask, what the fuck?"

"You didn't explain to Steve about scenting."

"Oh shit, no. No I didn't. Um that would have been one of those incident things. He only asked you right? Not someone else?" The panic in Tony's eyes at having to explain to some poor Omega that Steve didn't know any better was evident.

"I only asked her." Steve answered, though he did think about making Tony sweat for a few minutes to make up for the embarrassment he had felt this morning with her.

"So what's the verdict?" Clint asked, the one time he could smell her would be the one time she wouldn't want to get near him.

"The ocean and lilacs."

Bruce had joined them just as he answered, "That sounds pretty."

"Thanks." Natasha answered, a smile curling her lips.

"Thank you all for the uh education. I wouldn't want to embarrass the team." Steve tried not to stammer. 

"It's alright. After yesterday anything you want to know ever? Just ask, I'll find out if I don't know." Clint smiled, but then asked "Where's Thor?"

"I'm here friend, Jane had just called. I will be in London for a few days. Erik is not well."

Clint stilled, they had both been taken over by Loki.

"Worry not Clint. He has worked to hard and exhausted himself. He has pneumonia and with his age, they are worried."

Clint sighed, he felt bad for the rush of relief he felt. The guy was sick. "So anything he needs?" Clint asked to alleviate his guilt.

"I will ask Jane."

The conversation died down as everyone ate their lunch. Steve let his mind wander again as he had earlier but nothing really formed, which he was grateful for. The day had been a bit overstimulating for him.

Lunch finished and everyone went their ways, so Steve decided he would take a few more hours for himself and gathered up a few supplies and walked to the cafe down the street to draw. He ordered a coffee and a pastry to nibble on later. The light was fading before he gave in and returned to the tower.

He went to the main kitchen to see about leftovers, Wednesday nights were generally a fend for yourself night since there was only six of them. Nothing struck his fancy so he called and ordered from a nice Italian place who was not afraid to try and keep up with his or Thor's metabolism. He was flipping through a few news stations while he waited for his dinner when Clint came in.

"I want to thank you for helping me." Clint said sitting down near Steve.

"Oh well, I don't know what to say without sounding self serving except, you're welcome." 

"You don't have to say anything. I went to S.H.E.I.L.D. today and they think everything will be normal again."

"Natasha said that, well, no never mind."

"Ah yeah that." Clint guessed what Steve was trying to avoid. "It's like a one percent chance. And there is certain things Omegas can take to make it zero percent."

"Oh. Okay." Steve wasn't sure how he felt, but then it had never been up to him.

"You don't want a kid with me Cap, I'm a mess on a good day." Clint offered. "Still not right after Loki."

"I think anybody would be happy to have children with you Clint. I've seen you around them, you're really good. You always make them smile, watch out that the littler ones don't get hurt but still get attention. You'd make a good parent." Steve pondered if a Male Omega was called a mother or a father, but didn't want to ask. It was something he could ask Jarvis or Google.

"Maybe. I'm going to go to the range. Have a good night Cap."

"Night Clint." Steve couldn't make himself call Clint by his last name. It seemed wrong now.

Steve's dinner came and he took it to his floor, wanting to be alone for just a few more hours.


	5. Chapter 5

But the hours turned to days, days to weeks. He saw his team, he trained with them, eat with them, even watched a few movies with them. But by in large he stayed in his room drawing, reading and sleeping more than he ever had before.

It was about six weeks after Clint's last cycle that Tony burst into his suite demanding to know why Steve didn't love them anymore.

Steve just blinked in confusion at the question. "What?"

"You don't play with us, you don't eat with us, you hide in here all day, or go down to the cafe and hide." Tony stated bitterly.

"I had lunch with you not two hours ago."

"And you didn't say a word. Clint thinks you're hurt because he used the Plan O so he didn't get pregnant, Natasha thinks it's because we both sort of embarrassed you with the scent thing. Thor's not sure what to think and Bruce won't say what he thinks."

"And what do you think?" Steve asked crossing his arms in front of him.

"I don't know, probably all of the above and a million things we don't know about, because you WON'T TALK TO US."

"Tony, there are a lot of things that I'm still adjusting to. Yes the sub genders are part of that but no it's not why I've been avoiding you." Steve tried to back peddle as soon as the words were out of his mouth. "No that's not what I meant."

"So it's not the team, it's me. Okay, alright, what did I do that makes you want to avoid me? Can I fix it?" Tony asked, his face one of true concern for once.

Steve dropped on to the couch. He had spent six weeks trying to understand what he'd felt when Tony had let him smell him. "It's not you. You didn't do anything that you need to fix. It's me." He ended up mumbling. 

"What's you?" Tony pushed.

The only thing Steve had come up with was the way Tony had smelled in those few seconds was as close to drunk as he'd gotten in years. "I can't explain it. I just...I don't want...I can't...It's just..."

"You suddenly can't finish a sentence?"

"I don't know how to explain it."

"How about you just tell me what it is and I'll decide if I need you to explain it." 

Steve scrubbed his face and stood up again. If Tony was going to slug him he deserved a decent shot. "That day, I told you Clint said I smell odd?"

"Yeah, the day you didn't get Clint pregnant and he thinks your mad at him or having some sort of catholic guilt because he used birth control? That day? What about it?"

"You're not making this easy Tony." Why did Steve think Tony would just let him lay this out there? Obviously Steve forgot who he was dealing with. 

"I'm sorry. I can never make things easy." Tony pressed Steve's shoulders until he sat back,down then sat on the coffee tables front of him. "Continue."

"When you smelled my neck, it did something." Steve drew out the word. "To me. Then when I smelled you... I it just so confusing." Steve rambled. 

"Wait you've been avoiding me because you were turned on by the way I smelled after you screwed Barton through his heat?" Tony asked his arms crossing over his chest. 

"I didn't, I don't know what to say. I didn't understand it, I don't understand it. The whole thing has me confused. I'm a Trad, you're an Alpha. Am I suppose to be attracted to your scent? Am I even suppose to be able to smell it? And then there's Clint, he smelled very nice that day to. So nice that I, screwed him," Steve stumbled a little, his upbringing showing once more. "I screwed him like a damn Alpha, used that damn toy. Didn't leave him for almost an hour making sure he got what he needed. And you smelled so wonderful. And all I wanted right then was you to take care of me like I had just done for Clint, only you wouldn't need the fake knot because you have your own." Steve finished the last sentence very slowly as everything he'd just said clicked and he finally understood what was bothering him. "I was jealous of Clint." Steve barely took a breath before continuing, "And does that make it worse because I want you like an Omega? Is that even allowed? Because damn it, I'm catholic and gay and that's already a mess."

"So you avoided me?" Tony questioned.

"Don't ask me to make sense of something I just this second realized." Steve asked throwing his hands up in frustration.

"No I'm not, I just want to make sure we're on the right page."

"Tony I don't even know what book we're in. How can I know what page?"

"Okay you got me there. Look it is weird that you can smell any of us. Trads can't, but that might be a serum thing. And yes it's funky that you have an Alpha scent. Bruce and I looked over your blood work, you've never had the mutation. So we're going with its a serum thing. No one knows if you had the scent before and you can never know if you did come across someone before who had the mutation and you didn't know it because you thought it was their cologne or perfume or soap. The best guess we've got for you is, it's the serum. As for an attraction to my scent, I've had people attracted to me all my life. I've never bothered to ask why. So no more avoiding me. And for gods sakes go talk to Barton before he does something rash like convert so he can go to confession. We'll never get him out of there with his career."

Steve laughed. "I'm sure we need to worry about Black Widow more than Hawkeye."

"Also true. Or here's a scary one, Thor. A thousand years of war and debauchery and as a bonus the whole false idol God thing. They'd just keep his hammer swinging butt."

Steve laughed again, "Ow okay stop before we break the Vatican."

"Oh what's that," Tony pulled out his phone, "it's for you, its Pope Francis calling to ask you to never let your friends convert."

Steve pushed Tony's hand away. "Sure, why not, Hellfire's so much fun."

"Ah come on the Hulk could take it."

"The Hulk would eat it."

"True. Come on, go do the Captain thing and tell your troupes you will lead them into conversion and if that fails, hellfire."

"You're an idiot."

"True again, but a hot nice smelling one." Tony smirked and blew Steve a kiss. 

Steve shrugged, "What am I going to tell them? That I wanted you to...never mind I can't even say it to you." 

"Just tell them you were having a hard time processing things. You don't have to tell the them what things."

He nodded. He was starting to feel light headed. Tony had been in his living room long enough for his scent to take over. He shook his head hoping to clear the fog that had settled over it. All that did was make the world shift and him whimper. 

"Steve?"

"I'm fine Tony, just need some fresh air." Steve said walking over to his balcony. And he did not stumble that last step, he didn't care what Tony says.

"Sir, your pheromones have tripled in the last five minutes. And it would seem Captain Rogers is not immune." Jarvis explained as Steve got the door open.

"Shit I got Steve high?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Tony walked over to the doorway. "Steve?"

Steve was leaning on the railing, head parallel with his shoulders as his hands turned white from the force. He was taking deep slow breaths. When he heard Tony's voice he shivered and took an even deeper breath and held it. 

"Do you want me to go?"

"Not really. But it might be better right now. Whatever is going on, your scent makes it so much harder to understand, makes it harder to think." Steve panted out, trying desperately to not breath through his nose.

"Okay. Call Jarvis if you need anything."

Steve nodded, his eyes closed, even the sound of Tony's voice was starting to be distracting. 

A moment later Jarvis spoke, "Sir has left and I have set the ventilation filters to maximum, Captain."

"Thanks Jarvis."

Steve made it inside before he let himself sink to the floor and lean against the closest wall. Then he drug in a few more deep breaths letting his head fall back to rest on the wall. "Tony didn't answer the part about Trads and Alphas." Steve said out load.

"No, he did not Captain."

"Is that...allowed? Never mind. Don't answer that."

"Captain. The world has changed significantly but there will always be people who have some sort of prejudice against some group of people."

Steve's only response was, "There will always be bullies."

"Yes sir." Jarvis's voice was soft with compassion. "However, I am certain that if there was ever a person strong enough to stand up to any sort of prejudice, it would be you."

"I'm a five time 4F reject catholic solider that fought against the Nazi's with a Negro, a Japanese American, a Brit, a Frenchman and Dugan." Because let's face it Dugan defied all description. 

"My point exactly sir."

"But does that mean I want to keep doing it?"

"I think at this point sir, it is literally in your blood to fight injustice." The sarcasm dripping from Jarvis set Steve off. He laughed, hard.


	6. Chapter 6

When he calmed down Steve got up washed his face and went to look for Clint. The most logical place to look was the archery range so that's where he started. He watched the man fire arrow after arrow diving from one platform to another, than scrambling up a ladder to do it all again while Tony's drones fired red dye soaked Nerf bullets at him. The dye faded after a few hours but there wasn't even a single smear of red on Clint.

It took about ten minutes for the drones to stop and zoom off to their charging stations. Each drone covered in purple splotches of dye, showing how many hits Clint had landed.

Steve walked over to the basket of towels and pulled out two. He handed them both to Clint, watched while Clint drained a bottle of water then drench one towel with water and laid it over his neck before wiping his face with the other.

Steve spoke before Clint could, "I am not, nor was I ever upset with you. I was and am glad to have been able to help you that day. I offered to help and nothing we did bothered me. Would I have been happy if you had gotten pregnant and want to keep the baby, yes. Am I sad that it was not something you wanted, maybe a little. But my behavior these last few weeks had nothing to do with that. I needed time to be able to adjust to the new changes around me, again." Steve raised his eyebrows emphasizing again. "It is completely on me and I handled it badly. I'm sorry."

"No, you don't need to apologize. We threw a lot at you that day. Changed everything you thought you knew about the world." Clint shrugged. "I understand."

"Thanks. I thought I'd adjusted, was doing alright. But then everything kind of slipped again."

"Yeah race wide mutations will do that to you."

Steve chuckled. "Seems so. So you're okay? Things are back to normal?" He could feel his face flushing. 

"Seems so." Clint parroted back. "They want me to have one more before they'll put me back on my suppressant. But it's something I can plan and not get smacked with in the middle of breakfast."

"Do you have plans?"

"Maybe? Met this Alpha." Clint turned away, dropping his quiver onto the bench before dropping down next to it. "Nice guy. Checks out. He's S.H.E.I.L.D, so there's that. Might be nice to be able to bitch about work with someone without editing everything I say."

"I'm glad. About all of it."

"Thanks. So you're okay now? Figured everything out?"

Steve shrugged, "No, but I am. Just always seems I'm out of place."

"So make your own."

"Harder to do than you think." Steve countered.

"Always is, but it's always worth it to. So what is it? Maybe I can help?"

He swallowed away the dread that swelled. Clint was his friend, maybe he would understand. "I think I like Tony?" 

"And why did that sound like a question?" 

Steve sat on the floor in front of Clint. "Because I don't know if it's something that is...done? Honestly this is more confusing that it dawning on me that I watched Falsworth as much as I did Peggy. Or that sometimes I watched the guys dance more than the dames back in New York."

"Being gay is still the same, or bisexual since you know you like both."

"But is it still gay if I wish I was like you?" Steve said meekly.

Clint dropped off the bench and kelt before Steve, he tipped his his head so that they were looking eye to eye. "What you want is no ones business but your's and your partners. If you want to be an Omega, to feel like an Omega, than that's what you want. If your partner cares about you, then he'll give you what you want. Tony has never been shy about flouting conventions anyways. If he's who you want I doubt very much he's going to turn you down. You're hot." Clint said with a smirk, sitting down now.

"So I've been told." Steve roughed up his hair and flopped back onto the floor. "That day was so surreal. A thousand times more than waking up from the ice to a game I'd been to, to running out in the middle of Time Square. You were there, and so miserable, and you smelled good, but then later, I told Tony how you said I didn't smell right and he came over and smelled my neck... it was the second most erotic thing in my life."

"What was the first?"

"Smelling him." Steve covered his face with both hands. "God, that sounds rude to say to you."

"No it doesn't. Steve, it's not like we're lovers or anything. You're a friend who helped me in a really crappy situation. Yeah it involved something very intimate, and will I always kinda a little bit love you for it, sure. But it wasn't about love, it was about compassion and friendship."

"Yeah alright. You're right." Steve capitulated, that was a description he could live with. 

"I know Tony said something about him and Bruce checking your blood to see if they could find the mutation. Did they ever do that?"

"Yes he told me earlier that it's not there, per-serum or now. Not sure how he got a hold of any pre-serum blood. Not sure I want to ask."

"Don't blame you there."

"The science bros are chocking my scent and ability to scent to the serum."

Clint made a non-committal sound. 

"You don't agree?"

"No I think it's the serum. I'm just wondering why?"

"Why what?" Steve asked confused, again.

"Erskine made the serum to make you the pinnacle of human perfection?"

"Yes." 

"The human race is evolving."

"Yes?"

"The new evolution makes you not the pinnacle of human perfection."

Steve jerked. "Shit?"

"Yep. Why does Tony smell so good? Omegas are drawn to Alphas who will give them the best children. What did Nat and Tony say you smelled like? Pine trees after a rain storm? I'd bet my bow that will change as time goes on. The serum is deciding the best way to adapt to the new situation. Maybe Erskine knew and somehow worked this into the serum, maybe the serum is just a hellava lot smarter than we thought. It kept you alive in the ice for seven decades."

"So you think it will show up? Not sure I want either side of the coin to manifest this late in life. Either way is probably going to hurt."

"A lot from what I understand."

"I should ask Tony and Bruce about this. How did this become my life?"

"Because someone was so patriotic they signed up to be a lab rat that ended up being a success?"

"Right." Steve sighed. He dragged himself up from the mat and helped Clint up to. Before letting go he pulled him into a hug. "I am sorry about these last few weeks."

"No worries man. I'll bring Martin by soon. He's a fan. Not like Phill was, but he'd be excited to meet you."

"Sure. Not like we aren't all going to want to make sure he's a good guy."

"Uh old enough to figure it out for myself." Clint laughed,

"I know, but uh hey we'd worry if we didn't."

"Yeah." Clint patted Steve on the back and left for the shower.

Steve worked on the rounds first Natasha and Thor, letting them know that he was sorry about behind distant, but that he needed time to accept the new information. Not the new personal revelations that went with the info, but all the same. 

Jarvis told Steve Bruce was out of the tower for the next week tracking down some information about a plant that might help with some of the aches and residual pains he has after transforming from The Hulk. Steve's stomach churned but he went to see Tony in his workshop next. 

Jarvis must have to,d Tony he was coming because Tony had turned down the music and was cleaning off a few benches instead of being buried in some project or another. 

"He big guy. Feeling better?"

"Yeah. I talked to the others. Well except Bruce."

"Hm yeah Tibet." Tony offered.

"When I was talking to Clint, he brought up a point I don't know if you and Bruce considered."

"Where did Legolas's crazy mind go?" 

Steve sat in the chair closest to Tony and listed all the points Clint had said. Each one made Tony's face go a shade paler, telling Steve they hadn't thought of them.

"Shit."

"What I said."

Tony swirled in the chair he was sitting in and pulled up a file. He pulled away from the computer and moved over next to Steve. "These are the scans and blood draws they took from you as soon as you were out of the ice." Tony points to a series if graphs and images. "These are the scans that they sent us went you moved in." Tony manipulated them so they overlaid each other. Everything looked the same. A few of the blood tests were different but that was to be expected and they weren't anything drastic. "I think we need to do a comparison set from ice to move in to today. Shit why didn't we think of this. Of course it would be able to adapt. Bet if you moved to Africa you would have the acclimation period anyone would go through or to well back to some place extremely cold. The serum is smart. Can't be perfect if your dead. Shit shit shit."

"Tony it's alright. Whatever it is, I'll deal with it." Steve wasn't trying to convince them both. He was getting light headed again. His head spun and his stomach wouldn't settle. 

"Steve hey look at me." Tony asked stepping into Steve's line of sight. Steve looked up and Tony gently held his head tipping it back so the light was better. "Okay, you're high again."

"No just a little foggy." Steve said shaking his head.

"Steve your pupils are huge and their not tracking right." Tony leaned back so Steve could see all of his face. "Don't hit me."

Steve had know idea why Tony would think he would hit him, until he felt Tony's hand on his cock, which was hard. Steve gasped then moan when Tony pulled his hand away.

"Jarvis scan Steve now." 

"Yes Sir." It only took a moment, "scan complete Sir." The image appeared next to Steve's other records. Tony made it larger.

"Okay. So no physiological changes."

"No Sir."

"Let's get you back to your room." Tony put a shoulder under Steve's arm and lifted. Steve followed a vague understanding of what was going on.

Tony draped the solider his shoulder and they made it to Steve's room. Tony never said a word about the times Steve turned and breathed in right next to his scent gland. Mostly because he was concentrating on getting Steve to his bed and if he thought about the other thing he'd drop him to the floor and kiss the man blind.

Went they finally got to Steve's bed Tony tried to sit the man down but Steve pulled him down and laid back.

"No. Oh no don't do that." Tony's voice rose when Steve tried to kiss Tony's neck. "No let's just take a nap alright. Yeah that's a great idea. You curl up and sleep off your Tony high and I will try to figure out what the hell."

"Don't go. Please? It's all so much quieter when you're here."

"It won't help you calm down though."

"Don't care." Steve murmured nuzzling Tony's neck until he was comfortable. 

Tony wasn't sure how to get out of this. Steve had turned into and octopus, he suddenly was all arms. Every time Tony moved one to get free another took its place. He wondered if it looked like a limb version of "who's on first, what's on second." Then a hand found his cock and he couldn't remember who was suppose to be on third.

"I'm pretty much screwed ain't I?" Tony asked Jarvis. 

"It would appear unwise to try to remove yourself until Captain Rogers has fallen into a deeper sleep."

"Fine. Bring up a file of everything we've tested so far, and call Bruciebear and tell him to get his fuzzy green ass back here. I need him."

"Certainly sir."

"Less sass." Tony grumbled. Tony took a deep breath to try and focus and whimpered when he caught Steve's scent. He smelled less like pine trees and more like rain storms.

"Yeah Bruce, NOW."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you all my bunnies are jerks.  
> Huge asshole jerks.
> 
> But as promised changes and sex.

"I've contacted Dr. Banner. He was able to track specimens much faster than he anticipated and he believes he should be able to be here before lunch."

"Okay. So need to invent the transporter."

"I will add it to the list, Sir."

"What did I say about sass?" Tony sighed. 

Jarvis remained silent. Tony worked through this file and that, tried this idea and that idea it was almost an hour before Jarvis spoke softly stating, "It maybe safe to move, Sir."

Tony pushed the files out of his way and moved out of the reach of the sleeping man. Tony chanced it before he left the room and took a deep breath near Steve shoulder. Shaking his head he fled Steve's room. It wasn't until he was in his lab that he let the full body shiver run its course. 

"Jarvis look through all known data points for descriptions of both Alphas and Omegas scents. Then give me a list of each."

"Of course, Sir."

Tony dropped into his chair and dropped his head onto a table. 

"That bad Stark?" Clint said walking in.

"Yes, and fuck you, laymen for figuring it out."

Clint chuckled. "Aww are you jealous of my mind, or is that because I was the first to get Steve?"

"Again fuck you."

"But then you don't want him that way and from what I understand he doesn't want you that way either." Clint dropped his hip on the table inches from Tony's head. 

"Fuck." Tony drew the word out. "You."

"Naw you're saying that to the wrong Omega."

"He's not an Omega." 

"Not yet."

Tony sat up, glaring at Barton, "Do you really want him to go through that? Come on that's going to hurt like hell Barton. Not to mention a heat. We need to figure out a way to stop it."

Clint's face was as soft as his voice, "You know you can't, Tony. Yes you and Bruce are geniuses. Gods you're not. I doubt even Thor's people could stop this. Or would. It's evolution. I doubt they will step in."

Tony hated this conversation. Steve was going to go through a massive amount of pain and nothing they knew would stop it and with his metabolism there was nothing they could even do to lessen it. Then there was the time table, could they predict it? Or would it be some random day in the middle of a battle? Would it be days from now, months, years?

"Just be there for him." Clint said, then flinched. "I thought of something else." He shook his head, "I didn't tell Steve though. I knew everything else would already freak him out."

"What?" Tony asked dread filling him.

"I figured out what the other thing was I could smell that day. I've only come across it a few times. Like twice I think. It's what makes him smell weird."

"Alright what is it?" Tony kept from snapping but only just.

"It's the scent someone has when they have the bonding gland." Clint said softly.

"Oh no. Come on. You can't be serious."

Clint shrugged. "I could be wrong. But, I don't think I am. See the thing is Omegas can smell that scent when not in heat. That's kinda why it didn't click. We smell it so, I don't know, so we stay away?" Clint shrugged. "I was on the subway the other day and I caught it. It's what gave me the idea for the rest of it. Why would Steve smell like an Alpha but not? Then he's telling me that he wants you, but he wants you like he thinks an Omega would want an Alpha."

"What if this psycho symptomatic? He's gay and his brain is telling him this is the way it needs to be so the serum is causing it?" Tony rambled. 

"Tony. Before he knew about everything else he already had the bonding scent. That's what kept me from dropping him and dropping on him." Clint emphasized on, to get his point across.

"I am back to hating you."

"Besides he's not gay, he's bisexual." 

"Sir? Captain Rogers is awake."

"I was hoping he'd sleep longer." Tony sighed. "If he's around me to long, best description is he gets high."

"You are screwed my friend. One and only bonded Omega I know, got a contact high just from the smell of her Alpha before they finally got everything worked and they had their fist heat."

"So you think I'm going to be Steve's Alpha?"

Clint just stared at him like he was the village idiot.

"Right, sure, of course. Because I am so good at handling stuff. My luck, his first heat I'll be lost down an engineering rabbit hole."

Tony sighed and left Clint. When he got to Steve's floor, he took a deep breath and went to Steve bedroom. 

"Hey was hoping you'd sleep longer." Then Tony noticed Steve sweating. "Jarvis, why didn't you tell me Steve was sick?"

"I asked him not to. He wasn't suppose to call you." Steve groaned. He went ridged and gasped, then he rolled on his side and curled up into a tiny little ball.

"How can you even get that small?" Tony whimpered in sympathy. "Jarvis get Barton up here. And find out really fast if there's anything to help a puberty Male Omega go through this."

"Of course Sir."

"No. I'll be alright, just go. I don't want anyone-"

"To fucking bad." Tony cut in. "Like hell we'll leave you alone."

"Sir the only thing that has brought any relief to a puberty Omega is the scents of family Alphas. I would suggest gathering everyone as this is not normal."

"No. Please just go." Steve whimpered.

"Not happening, Cap." Clint said, Natasha and Thor right behind him. "Tony, what if you sat with him? The scent helps so let him get as much as he can."

Tony nodded pulling of his t-shirt but he left on his tank top. "Come on Steve, if it doesn't help I'll leave okay."

Steve couldn't say anything as another wave of pain hit him. He felt like he was being torn apart. This hurt worse that growing a foot and gaining over a hundred pound of muscle in seconds. He felt Tony curl up around him, and slip his head on his shoulder. 

"It's alright sweetheart. We're here for you. I'm here for you."

Steve vaguely noticed the bed shift again as he panted through a wave of nausea. A cool cloth was laid on his neck. He tried to breath in Tony's scent but it all hurt so much. It finally let up for a moment and Steve took a deep breath in. 

The light headed feeling was back, it did dull the edges of the pain. 

When Tony spoke, reassuring him it would be alright, it dropped away further. "So much better." Steve slurred.

He vaguely heard Natasha ask Jarvis something but he listened instead to Tony telling him it would be okay, that they were there for him, and mildly joke that it will all feel better when it quit hurting.

The cloth was changed and he felt Natasha's hands rub his back. She leaned forward and hugged his from behind. He could smell her lilacs and he relaxed a little bit more. The pain was almost tolerable now. 

Until suddenly it wasn't and scream ripped threw him. He will never know how it happened but he fell back onto the bed writhing without hurting Natasha. There was no way to comprehend the pain he was in or what was causing it. He felt like everything in his body had turned to acid. But none of the nerves had been blissfully damaged, no every single nerve in his body was on full sensory mode. 

"Sir. I... it appears your presence helps with the pain but it also appears to speed up the change."

"Shit. You just can't do anything easy can ya, Steve?" Tony whispered. 

Steve heard the words but couldn't understand them. Another wave of pain rolled through him and finally his body gave in and he passed out.

"Fuck." Tony clamor end back onto the bed. "Jarvis!?"

"He has passed out sir. I would advise letting him stay that way as long as possible."

"Is there anything we can give him?" Thor asked.

Tony shook his head, "No, he burns through it faster than it can work. It's why he can't get drunk."

"I may know something." Natasha mumbled and took off. 

The others just stared at the now empty door frame. Clint was the first to, "Jarvis what is happening?"

"Captain Rogers is 23% through the change to an Omega." An image appeared near them showing the organs growth. "In most cases it takes day for the change, at this rate captain Rogers will have changed in less then 8 hours. There is also a rather odd secondary change. I believe it is what prompted him to loss consciousness."

"Jarvis don't leave us hanging." Tony said his voice already showing the strain if the situation. 

"It appears that his serum does want him to be the height of human perfection. It has also created the knotting gland." 

Tony winced, yeah he knew that hurt like a fucking bitch.

"So he is the the beginning and the end?" Barton joked.

"Precisely."

Natasha was back scrambling on the bed, a needle in her hand she jammed it in Steve's leg and pulled away. The room watched as Steve's body relaxed because even though he had been passed out his body had still twitched and been tense. The lines of pain in his face eased.

"What did you just give him?" Tony growled and shoved Natasha against the wall. His whole body shaking with a mix of emotions, fear, and anger mixed with a little relief.

"A Dendrotoxin, there were some notes in Schmidt's old files. Was the only thing that would work in him and another unnamed subject."

"There's more of him?" Tony asked dropping her.

"No the test was from the 40's. Schmidt's dead and by now even if the other one did survive they would be 90 years old or more."

"So's he." Tony pointed to the bed. 

"But he was naturally cryogenically frozen for seventy years. That has never happened before or since and no ones ever been able to successfully do it."

Tony sagged, she was right and he knew he just couldn't get there. "Why do you have Dendrotoxin in your room?" He finally asked.

Natasha didn't answer just raised an eyebrow. 

"Right, don't ask the ex-Russian spy slash assassin why she has poison."

"I project the dose given will only last through a third of the change. There are also complications due to the amount of energy his body is using to facilitate the change. I believe it would be wise to give the Captain an IV with these liquid supplants." Another screen popped up with a list. "Dr. Banner has seven bags in his lab that he uses for after an episode of The Hulk."

"On it." Clint barked out before Jarvis had finished. 

"You said it sped up because I was here, projection if I leave?" Tony asked.

"It increased when Agent Romanoff was in the room as well but did not decrease when she left." Jarvis answered.

"So what if we both stay close again and speed it up more? Or will that make him burn through the poison faster too?"

"Both sir, but from what I can extrapolate, it would be safe to give him a second dose fifteen minutes after the first has worn off."

"Do you have more?" Tony asked and got the same stare as before. "Right don't ask ex-Russian spy slash assassin if she has more poison."

Natasha smiled, "You can be taught." Then quickly left again.

"If there anything I can do?" Thor spoke softly, he face showing how useless he felt. 

"The cool rags seemed to help some. Keep changing them out." Tony offered.

Thor nodded and retreated to the bathroom.

"Did I really just ask the God of Thunder to change out cold wash rags?" Tony shook his head for the millions time today. Looking at Steve he noticed he was drenched in sweat and his shirt was stuck to him, his pants the same. When Thor came out with a handful of wash rags Tony asked him to help him get the solider out of the sweat drenched clothes leaving only his boxers and back onto the bed more comfortably. The pair finished stripping him just as both Clint and Tasha came back. 

"He had it stashed in the back of a fridge. Was he trying to hide it?" Clint asked, slightly frustrated that it had taken him so long. 

"It's okay, we've got it. We'll figure out Bruciebear's issues next. Steve's are sort of more imminent."

Clint sat down gingerly and worked on the IV. Tasha set a case on the bedside table and waited. Clint laid the bag on the nightstand, "In case he thrashes again, less chance of it getting pulled out."

They all nodded. 

"Come on Tasha, we're on 'hurry this shit up' detail." Tony said climbing on the bed next to Steve. The small rise now apparent in Steve's right shoulder made him cringe. "I hate you Barton."

"I know I saw it."

"What?" Tasha asked curling up around Steve as well. 

"He has the bonding gland."

"Oh."

Steve jerked and his face tighten for a moment but he relaxed just as quickly. 

"The change has increased again. He is at 32% of the change."

"I hope we're doing the right thing." Tony whispered more to himself than anyone else.

"You're doing the right thing Tony." Tasha said a hand reaching for his, her thumb caressing the webbing between his thumb and finger before pressing gently and letting go.

Tony tried to nod but in the end it was more of a head tip because on the way down he was overcome by Steve's unique scent again. Tony whined softly. Tasha thankfully ignored the sound. Steve smelt like heaven, he smelled like iron out the forge and rain covered trees and okay, that was coconut. 

"Sir, the Captain will be waking up momentarily according to his vitals. I suggest Agent Barton administer the second dose in fifteen minutes. I would also advise that everyone else leave before the second dose wears off. And I have cleared your schedule for the foreseeable future."

"You think he's going to wake up in heat?" Clint asked.

"Yes." Was all Jarvis would reply.

"Are the doses already set?"

Tasha nodded at the archer, "Do not nick yourself."

Clint didn't get to respond as Steve came to and no one would ever be able to describe the sound that came from Steve.

"Hey you're okay. Steve you're safe. I know it hurts. I know everything hurts. I'm sorry. I wish I could make it stop. It will soon." Tony spoke urgently trying to get through to Steve's pain overloaded brain.

"Burning." Steve gasped. "Alive." 

"No I promise. It's only your body. I swear sweetie. No one would hurt you here. I promise."

"Can't." Steve broke, the tears streaming down his face.

"Shush. Sure you can. You're so brave, so strong." Tony tried the only thing he could think of to override a little of the pain. He kissed Steve and rubbed the bonding gland with his thumb.

Steve hissed and whimpered but slowly began kissing back. 

Tony kept the kiss light but hopefully distracting. He never stopped even after he finally felt Clint slip up on to the bed and Steve go limp in his arms. He kept kissing Steve's lips softly when he felt Tasha leave, when he heard the doors close.

Still he kept the gentle caress on the bond when he was alone with a silent Steve and his obsessive fears. 

"Jarvis, I can't do this to him. He doesn't want me." Tony's voice broke. "I'm more broken than he is."

"Sir, you are the only one who can." Jarvis's voice was so soft he expected a soft hand on his shoulder and a tussle of his hair, when the caring touch of his old friend didn't come, he cried.

"I miss you." 

"If I could gather him from the stars for you..."

"I know. This day sucks." He groused, there cleared his throat, "Where are we at?"

"75% now."

"So why would he have a heat as soon as he wakes? No one does, the human body can't take it."

"Captain Rogers defies all logic, Sir."

"He does at that. What are the percentages of conception?"

"At the current hormone levels? 100%"

"Yeah. That's what I guessed." Tony laid his head on Steve's chest, listening to his heart. It raced, pushing blood to every inch of Steve's changing body with lightening speed. "You just can't do things the easy way can you? Chances we can get through this heat with him playing the part of Alpha?"

"Less than one tenth of a percent."

"Knew that one too. So knowing his body, there is no way I'm going to help him without bonding with him." Tony shivered, the only way to complete the bond was for Tony to come in Steve and to bite the raised gland. Tony knew if they bonded Steve was going to be pregnant before the end of the week. 

"Correct Sir. There are no records of bonding hormones that come close to the Captain's levels."

"Right. I'm not going to be able to keep from bonding him to me. He's going to only smell better and better until I can't keep from bonding with him. He already smells like everything good."

Tony jolted a little when Steve spoke, "What do I smell like?" His voice ragged, laced with lust and shivering with pain.

"You smell like iron fresh from the forge," Tony whispered in Steve's ear, a kiss laid on his cheek, "the forest in a of rain storm, of coconuts and coffee and chocolate and you." Each description got a kiss, each one bringing Tony closer to Steve's lips.

The kiss was chaste and gentle as the pain settled in to a dull continuous ache.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I was in the Rebirth chamber for hours, like I was consumed by fire ants, like I had scarlet and rheumatic fever at the same time. Like I can't be still. Can't."

"Can't what?"

Steve rolled on top of Tony, he hissed as a wave of pain hit him but pushed through it. "Can't come soon enough."

"Sir, the next hour will be the only time the chance will be less than 100%."

"How much less than 100%?"

"3.8%."

"Still a pretty good chance." Tony answered. "Steve." Tony tried to get the new Omega's attention. The man was rocking against him. The outline of his cock pressed into Tony's hip.

"Please. Tony." Steve pleaded.

"I need you to understand something. Please. Listen."

"What? God Tony I'm so close."

"Okay. Do what you need. I need you level headed."

It only took another thirty seconds and Steve stiffened and groaned.

"Can you hear me? Come on, come back a little bit."

"Mmhm."

"Look at me." Tony demanded tenderly.

Steve shivered at the sound of Tony's voice. 

"You are an Omega now. But you also have the Alpha gland." Tony told him. "And you have the bonding gland."

"The one..."

"Yes Steve. If I help you with your heat there's a 96.2% chance you'll get pregnant in the next hour. After that it's 100%. In order to bond I have to come inside you. I can't use a condom. The only thing we can do is use the Plan O in a couple days."

"Do you have to bond?" Steve asked, trying to hold on to his sanity.

"I won't be able to keep from biting the gland, Steve. You already smell so wonderful it's taking everything I've got not to. The longer we go the more your body will do to get me to bond."

"If you just leave and I do what Clint was going to do?"

"It will be even more agonizing than your change, Captain. You are to full of the hormones, all of them. This isn't a normal cycle, sir. The serum has dumped, for a want of a better term, all of the superfluous hormones needed for the change into your blood stream. I am unsure of the physical or mental repercussions if they are unanswered by the appropriate Alpha hormones."

"But I have those to right?"

"Yes sir, but an Alpha's change in minuscule compared to that of a Male Omega. Those hormones are less than 3% of what is affecting you. At most your Alpha side will require addition stimulation to achieve release."

Steve face was so red, he could feel the heat radiating off his face on to his already over heated shoulders. This was insane, ludicrous, impossible, yet here he was, panting at the though of Tony taking him, of being connected to Tony in some way. Of feeling Tony's knot filling him, holding his come in his body, knowing that there was no way he was going to make out of the alive and not pregnant. 

Yes he was catholic and it was a sin to stop life from growing, but he was pretty sure the only sins he hadn't already committed were sloth and greed. He'd lusted, he'd killed, he'd stolen, he'd been wrathful, he'd envied. Was it even possible for him to go to heaven anymore. He'd commuted suicide, for all the right reasons, and granted it hadn't taken, but he had done it.

God he couldn't think anymore. Everything hurt again, it was all to much. He groaned in frustration. "I can never get anytime can I?" Steve asked.

"I want to be able to give it to you. I do. But we can't."

"I know. My skin is crawling. My brain is trying to claw itself into oblivion if I don't feel you in me soon...now."

"I promise to try to be a good Alpha. I won't promise I will be, but I promise to try. We have a week to figure out the other part." Tony offered a hand running over Steve stomach. "We'll talk about it when you can think. When you can decide for yourself what you want. I will give you all the time I can."

"Okay. Please Tony do something. I'm going out of my mind again."

Tony smiled and pushed on Steve's shoulder till he let Tony change their positions back. "So he's fully changed?"

"There is 1.2% left, sir. It is only the surface cells lining the outside of his ovaries that remains."

"Right. You remember Barton's heat right. How wet he was?"

"Yes." Steve whispered at the though of being drench like that.

Tony's hand pushed into the new Omega's boxers and pressed two fingers straight into Steve. 

Steve arched and writhed, the fingers were three before he could force his body to flatten out on the bed.

"Your body is more than ready. But I have to ask are you?"

"So ready, Tony, I know how Clint felt that day. Please, I understand. Please."

"Okay, I've got you." Tony ditched his shirt and pants fast. The scent of Steve's bonding gland and his slick was killing Tony, and on top of that the pheromones dripping out of his every pore begging to be bred until he conceived...an Alpha only had so much restraint. "You're so beautiful. Look at you. So hard, I can see the edge of your Alpha. You are the only person on the planet who could literally breed themselves." Tony rubbed Steve's bonding gland in deep circles, he'd heard once in helped release dopamine in to the Omega's system to help calm them in intense situations, like being taken for the first time. "You are so wet for me. You shine everywhere, you're so wet I can use it to stroke your cock, can use it to show you how to come like an Alpha."

"Toooooooony." Steve's voice was soft, his pitch high.

"I've got you sweetie." Tony watched Steve writhe at the endearment. "You like that? You like being my sweetheart? Like knowing it's going to be my baby in here?" Tony pulled the slick up along Steve's cock and over his belly. 

Steve moaned, cried out as the hand ghosted over his hard cock, the new gland at the bottom. "Please."

"Please what?" Tony whispered.

"Please, all of it. Any of it. Please." 

Tony pressed the head of his cock to Steve's ass and carefully pressed in millimeter by millimeter letting Steve's body accept him. The mewling sounds escaping from Steve's lips made Tony shiver. "So pretty. My cock slipping into you. Looks so good here." Tony shook his head to try to clear the sexual haze clouding him. He needed to do this right for Steve. He needed to be a good Alpha this time, no, a perfect Alpha.

Steve cried out, tears streaming down his face again, pieces started to fall into place. He felt Tony, the slide of his cock, the glide over something inside him that made stars in his eyes. His prostrate, he knew, but oh to feel... "Please Tony, I can't, to much."

"I know baby. I know. Just a bit more. So close. You are an aphrodisiac on legs, baby. I can't keep from filling you soon. Want it to be right. So right. Can't do over." Tony kissed Steve's tears away. His rhythm steady for the moment. Steve's body tugging him to the edge before he was ready. "Oh darling. You are the best Omega an Alpha could hope for." Tony kissed along Steve's jaw, till he was poised over the bond. "So pretty for me. Are you ready?"

"Yes yes please. It's all to much." Steve tried to keep from thrashing his head but he couldn't. His head brushed Tony's cheek.

"I know baby. Just a few more, their we are." Tony whispered reaching between them and wrapping his hand around Steve's cock. "You're going to come for me. Going to come while I fill your pretty ass and bond us together."

"Yes Tony please." Steve begged. The pieces he'd just found trying to crumble. 

"I've got you." Tony strained, one last stoke and the Alpha came, biting down on Steve's shoulder dead center of the rise, he felt Steve stiffen around him cry out and the warmth spread over his hand. Tony bit and sucked hard on the skin in his teeth, wave after wave of his come flooding Steve's poor body. His knot holding every drop in. He felt Steve faultier and he let go when the man sank into the bed. He knew Steve was sated for now through the bond he could feel building. A few soft kisses and Tony pulled away. He managed to get Steve and him on their sides. His hips thrusting of their own free will from time to time. It was an Alpha mechanism, to press the seamen further into the body, to further insure conception.

Steve keened each time Tony jerked, the knot pressing further into him. He gasped and writhed with the jerks, each one sending another wave of orgasm through him.

"So beautiful," Tony kissed his hair, "so good." He kissed Steve's shoulder again, and felt a wave of euphoria race over him, but he knew it wasn't his, it was Steve's. He kissed it and pressed into Steve again and the euphoria became tenfold. "That's so wonderful. I can feel you already. God baby. I can feel how good you feel." A wave of pure happiness washed over him when he called Steve baby. "Is that what you want? Do want the baby to be there? Hm, oh sweetie, to see you swollen with our baby. I want to imagine it, want to see it."

"Yes. I oh I do. I want that but I'm afraid Tony. To many people want to hurt us all the time. I can't keep you safe, the baby safe..."

"We'll keep all of us safe." Tony felt fresh tears roll down his arm, and the sense of fear not his own. "I know. I know. One step at a time, hmm. One step." Tony caressed all the skin he could reach and kissed Steve's bond heavily. He felt the relief, then the pull of sleep as his lover relaxed and drifted. Tony wrapped his leg over Steve's holding them even closer together. "One step closer to a baby for Steve." Tony mumbled as sleep claimed him next.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So more sex.  
> First time Alpha sex.  
> ;)

It was two hours later, Tony awoke, freed from Steve, but found Steve curled into a ball shivering. Tony pulled the blankets from the floor and wrapped his arms around the new Omega. 

"Sir his IV needs to be changed."

"Oh shit." Tony had forgot all about it. How the hell could have forgotten Steve had a needle shoved in his arm? 

"Language." Came a mumble.

"Really?" Tony asked with a sarcastic tone.

"Yes? There might be a small one?" Steve's voice was small and full of trepidation. 

"Then I'll worry about my cursing when it's actually big enough to have ears."

"Alright."

Tony checked the line and found it intact so he changed to a new bag and carefully squeezed it, the line all the way open. The ache he felt drifted away and cozy replaced it. He let go and hung the bag off the headboard to do its thing.

He curled around the taller man again and rubbed his hair out of his face, kissed what he could reach and in general touched his bonded. Society had been playing with names since it became public. Bonded seemed to be the winner for now. But who knew what it could be in a few years.

"How do you feel?" Tony asked with a few kisses.

"So tired. I just want to sleep, but my body wants to feel you again."

"It's okay. We'll take it slow and easy this time, hmm." Tony kissed Steve building up the echo he felt. He kissed down Steve's chest to his nipples and Steve arched into the first touch. Tony felt a damp patch on his leg and knew that Steve was leaking. Inch by inch Tony worked down Steve's body. His cock stood straight and glistened. Tony took almost half of it in the first swallow. 

Steve couldn't make a sound, everything was locked up. His mind only able to process the feeling of Tony's mouth on his cock, his hand wrapped tight around the new bulge. Tony hummed and pressed his tongue on the vein along the bottom and Steve struggled to breath. Finally Steve's body demanded oxygen and he drug in a breath like it would be his last. Tony worked him a few more strokes and bobs and Steve screamed, his orgasm ripping through him. 

Tony stilled and swallowed as much as he could, some trailing down his chin. He stroked Steve through his orgasm with one hand and held tight around the Alpha knot with the other. He knew it wasn't going to be the best feeling but it was as close as he could get at the moment. 

When Steve relaxed back onto the bed Tony moved and pushed back into Steve's body. Steve whimpering, over sensitized after coming.

"Still so gorgeous." Tony crooned. Setting a slow light pace, Tony kissed Steve, swallowed all his tantalizing sounds, feeling every shiver both physically and through the bond. 

It was amazing. 

And it scared him, if it was this strong with pleasure, how strong would it be with anger, with pain?

Pushing away the thoughts Tony made love to Steve, bringing both of them to that fine edge but then slipping them away from it repeatedly. Tony's body ached with both his body's need and Steve's. But another thing he'd heard through grapevines, the longer you took with your Omega the longer you stayed knotted with them. He thought it was worth a little scientific experimentation to get his own data.

Steve had long ago stopped speaking reduced to whimpers, moans, and gasps. 

Tony gave in the fifth time they reached that feeling. "Oh honey," Tony's voice gravel but sweet at the same time. "Do you need my hand?"

Steve still couldn't speak, his only response was a lazy head shake. There was no part of him right now that wanted the feeling of being an Alpha. Instead he raised a shaking weak hand and pulled Tony to his right shoulder. 

Tony smiled into Steve's skin. He still smelled of everything that made Tony happy. He kissed the dark bruise that somehow still marked Steve's cream skin. He didn't bite this time, only kissed and licked the bruise while filling Steve and feeling his come spread between them. He held on to his sanity a little more this time and kept control over the tiny thrusts to keep his knot from hurting Steve. He kissed the bruised gland until he felt Steve slip away into sleep again. 

He thought he was kind of stupid for not to arranging them better before Steve fell back asleep, but after years in the shop and training he had the strength to move a sleeping Steve on to his side again and curl into the larger man's frame. 

This time he stayed awake and watched the micro expressions flitter over Steve's sleep softened face. Each time a look that might be pain or something not pleasant passed, Tony would caress their bond. He was glad that while Steve was asleep the bond was silent. They needed to see if the strength of it was due to the newness, or if it was the amount of everything in Steve's blood at the moment or if it was a Steve thing. If it was a Steve thing they were going to have to see if he could dampen it or suppress it some. It could turn out to be very distracting at the wrong moment. 

He watched Steve for an hour and half before he felt he could move away from Steve with out hurting him. Steve slept on. He checked the bag and Jarvis quietly told him that Steve should only need one more and had already procured replacements for Dr. Banner. Also that the doctor was due to arrive in four hours. 

Tony took a shower, after he finished, he cleaned Steve up the best he could without waking the man. He went to the kitchen and tried to find something to eat. There wasn't much, Steve usually ate in the commons area. Tony found some crackers and nibbled on those while Jarvis ordered food from the diner that Steve loved. 

He and Jarvis looked over Steve's vitals with Bruce now that they had a moment, as Tony ate his roast beef and mashed potatoes. 

"I'm sorry Tony, I wish we would have thought about the adaptive properties of the serum. Maybe we could have pushed this out further or stopped it." Bruce's face said on the screen. 

"No it's fine. Well I'm not upset. We'll see how Steve feels about it when he can think coherently again. I don't wish it didn't happen I just wish it didn't happen."

"Yes Tony, I've learn to translate you. Your happy and you feel like shit because your afraid your happy will be at the expense of someone else who more than likely is just as happy about it as you but you won't ask because the answer could be no and you don't do rejection."

"Wait I said 14 words and you said 47."

"You're are complex man Tony it takes extra words."

"The answer isn't no." Steve said draped against the doorjamb the sheet wrapped around his waist. 

"You shouldn't be out of bed yet. Please go lay back down. You look like you're trying to fall over."

"I did, that's why I'm leaning against the frame." Steve admitted. 

"Yet you did so so quietly we didn't hear you." Tony pointed out. "Jarvis make Bruciebear follow me." 

Bruce's image flickered on the tablet and then was blue and floating.

"I don't need to follow you Tony. It's fine."

"No I need you to see something that has me a little concerned but I need to get barely functioning back to solid bed."

Tony got Steve back into bed and changed to the last supplement bag. "Okay this is what's bugging me." Tony moved away from Steve and pointed out the bruise. "It should be healed by now. It was a good bruise yes, but not good enough to to last more than a couple hours."

"How long has it been?"

"Six. It was just a good hickey. I've seen him heal a building falling on him faster." Tony snipped.

"His body has gone through a lot. Some of his bruises after the Battle lasted a day. If it's not gone in the morning, we'll look into it. Don't aggravate it and it should be fine."

"Fine you're the doctor."

"So are you and neither of us are that kind of doctor." Bruce quipped. Looking at Steve Bruce asked, "How do you feel?"

"Like a building fell on me. Almost feel like I can think." Steve started to say something, but his face turned red and he shook his head, instead he said, "Uh sorry you don't to hear that."

"We might actually. We need to know what you're going through so we can help you." Bruce explained.

"Oh no, you really don't want to know that I really want to pin Tony to the bed and fuck him. Oh shit. That was not suppose to come out." Steve's face was pale white and buried in his hands.

Tony laughed, "So the Alpha has decided to come out to play, has he?"

Steve just grabbed the sheet and tried to stand up only to tumble back down onto the bed.

"Bruce, we'll talk to you later." Tony said three second before Jarvis cut the feed.

"You are in no shape to retreat big guy."

"I am to. I'm in the shape of Steve."

Tony chuckled. "Two points to the sass man. Lay back. No, I know but you don't have the strength to pin me to the bed. So how about if I do all the work?"

"You have been." Steve complained. "I wanted to do something for you." 

"You will." Tony assured him. "Sit up against the headboard."

Steve shifted wincing a little when he put to much weight on the arm with his IV. 

Tony saw it and felt it, but it was softer than before. "Last one." He explained as he straddled Steve's lap. "See now this way you get what you need and you don't have to expend much energy. And after there's dinner waiting for you."

"Oh god I'm so hungry."

"Do you want to eat first?"

"No, you smell to good."

"So what do I smell like to your Alpha scenes?" Tony asked.

"Like before, cedar trees and the ocean. But I can smell coconut now to."

"That's actually part of the reactor. The vibranium core taste like coconut."

Steve kissed Tony's shoulder, "Isn't that what Howard said my shield was made out of?"

"Please never mention my father in the bedroom, when either of us are naked and or about to have sex ever again. And yes."

"He said, uh I'm sorry." Steve stopped when Tony pulled back and gave him a dirty look. "I thought the shield was all there was."

"Was till I learned how to create it. It's difficult but this is all I need." Tony said taping the glass in his chest.

"Okay." He couldn't keep still again. 

Tony took mercy on him and kissed him, then leaned over to grab something out of the bed side table. 

"I don't come with my own." Tony explained pouring the clear liquid onto his fingers before reaching behind him.

Steve felt incredibly stupid that it took him so long to figure out what Tony was doing. 

"Tony you...I can..." Steve stammered. 

"Nope I got it. Beside between the two of us I'm the only one whose ever done this." Tony said between moans.

"And I'll never learn."

"Oh no big guy once your mental and physical health aren't in question we are so doing this again. And again. Oh yeah and defiantly again." Tony kissed Steve again.

He was as ready as he was going to be. He lifted up and reached for Steve. 

Steve panted at the pressure of Tony's hand on his cock. And then forgot how to breath yet again when Tony pressed himself down slowly. This was nothing like with Clint. While Clint had been hot, Tony was an inferno. Clint had been tight but Tony was like his gloves, he slipped over his cock perfectly.

"Oh god Tony. Oh god stop. It's to much."

"No it's just right baby. Just right." Tony pushed until the back of his thighs rested on Steve's legs. He took a few seconds to revel in the feel of being filled after so many years. "You'll have to be careful when you come. I'm not an omega and if you knot in me it will tear me badly. I can't stretch far enough to take it. Not without a lot more work. Some day I promise."

Steve nodded but quickly lost all thought when Tony started to ride him. There was no way he was going to last. 

"Don't worry just come when you need to. I can take care of myself."

Steve still tried, but everything was new, he felt like he'd just stepped out if the vita-Ray chamber, so much taller, to new colors he'd never seen before, and took his first deep breath since he was eight.

Tony felt Steve's knot swell and Steve's hands hold his hips so just the top of the swell pressed against his ass. He came the second Steve's knot touched him.

Steve slipped down the bed till he was laying flat, Tony resting on his chest. He could still feel his orgasm rippling through him pressing up into Tony every so often. 

"Hm, that always feels so odd." Tony mumbled

"How many Alphas have you been with?" Steve wondered, nibbling on Tony shoulder making a mirror image of the mark on his shoulder. 

"Three, usually to bossy for my taste."

"I'm pretty bossy."

"Naw you're just pretty."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um sweet love, angst and uh more love.  
> Oh and Natasha scares the crap out of Tony as a bonus.

The pair laid together for about fifteen minutes before Steve's knot faded. Tony could have moved at any time but he stayed so Steve could feel some of what Alpha sex was like.

"Jarvis, since Alpha Steve came to play does the mean the hormones have burned out of his system?"

"No sir. Merely that these had pushed past the others at the moment."

"Rats."

"Tony, you have things to do. It's alright." Steve said, rolling on to his side to get up.

Tony scrambled off and around the bed, dropping in front of Steve before he could get up, "No. God Steve that wasn't a 'rats I have to sleep with Steve' it's a 'rats he's still living in hormone soup'." 

Steve sighed. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Come on shower, before food. You're not very sanitary right now." Tony winked and Steve snorted.

"As if you are?"

"I showered while you slept. Come one, no telling when the next wave will hit you." Tony pulled Steve up. He was glad Steve was a little more steady on his feet but still he took the IV bag in one hand and pressed the other side into Steve's side.

"Thanks."

"What I'm here for. The whole doting Alpha package." The shower was already running to Steve's preferences, which thankfully were pretty close to Tony's. Tony hung the bag of the shower head and leaned Steve against a water warmed wall. "I've got you. We'll get you clean, feed you and see if maybe we can't get you to sleep with a belly full of food not come."

Tony chuckled Steve's face was so red.

Steve stilled Tony's hand as the rag swathed across his stomach. He pulled the shorter man to him and rested his head on Tony's. 

"I do want this." Steve voice broke. Tony moved but Steve shook his head, closing his eyes. Tony leaned back into him and waited. "I do want a baby. But there are to many things we don't know. My body's a mess right now. Would the baby even be safe conceived in the hormone soup? I don't care if the baby has problems but... I don't know maybe I'm not ready to decide." Steve gave in.

Tony hugged Steve close, then rose up the few inches that separated their lips and kissed Steve. "Shower, food, talk, sleep."

Steve nodded.

Tony was gentle as he washed Steve, he kissed as much as he could as the water rinsed him clean. Washing Steve's hair was a little problematic, between height and leaning against the wall but Tony managed it.

He got them out of the shower after a quick rewash, dried and into robes. He helped Steve to the table, getting his plate out of the oven to keep it warm. He nibbled on his food while he watched Steve systematically eat his double serving of meatloaf and vegetables. 

Tony cleared away the plates and held out a hand to Steve. "Come on. Let's go lay down."

Steve stood, following Tony still not speaking. Tony could feel his confusion, his fear, and his loss. They got into bed and Tony waited till Steve was comfortable before taking the IV out, the last bag empty. "The talk part is completely up to you sweetie. We can sleep and we can talk about it tomorrow.

"I'm scared." Steve spoke, his voice so soft Tony had a hard time hearing him. 

"I know. We both are. You're right, there are lots of people who will try to hurt the baby, capture you because you changed at well 90 something or twenty something depending..." Tony shrugged, but then continued, "but those people are going to always be there. Even if you'd stayed a Trad and married, your wife and child would have been targets. But you know how to defend yourself. And you can always call out battles from the tower. We would keep you safe. There are few in SHIELD that wouldn't lay down their lives for you, for your baby. And you know any of us would."

"I don't want people to die for me Tony." 

Tony shivered at the wave of anguish that screamed threw their bond. "I know. But the feelings still exist. You inspire great loyalty." Tony shrugged again. "The baby would be safe. They wouldn't never want for anything. And I know you would raise them to be just as good as you, even not growing up the way you did. As for the rest, your body isn't a mess. It's pretty damn hot."

Tony got what he wanted, a chuckle. "Your body is so desperate to make a baby if you aren't already pregnant you will be before it let's you calm down. The fact that the Alpha part of you is out makes me wonder. Besides your body does everything perfectly, the baby will be perfect. And beautiful just like his father, And smart and brave and strong. And horribly patriotic because let's face it, Captain America's kid can't be anything but."

"What about Iron Man's kid?"

"Aw that one will be a punk." Tony jerked at the anguish pouring through the bond again. "What is it? Steve sweetie?"

Steve drug in a breath and held it till the wave if grief settled back down in to the place it lived now. "Bucky."

Tony knew all about the Howling Commandos. Bucky, aka James Buchanan Barnes, aka Steve Rogers best friend, died a few days before Steve put the plane in the ice.

"I always called him jerk. And he always called me punk."

"Then I guess our kid will be a hellion won't they? But they'll have good roll models to pick from. So they'll be a hellion for the side of good."

Steve nodded. Tony wrapped his arms around his chest and and kissed the bruise that had faded a touch. He was honestly a little saddened by that. "You won't be upset if we don't use the...?" 

"Plan O." Tony offered. "No. I might wish you would have had more time to adjust to the new you, but no. We'd make it all work."

Steve closed his eyes and let the sleep nagging him pull him under.

The next time he woke, Tony was kissing him awake, and he opened his eyes to beautiful brown eyes looking down at him. Then he felt Tony's cock slip inside him and his eyes fluttered closed again, his back arching, as the need to be filed was answered before he was awake enough to understand it. "Good way to wake up." He gasped.

"You woke me up through the bond. You were so wet already. I couldn't resist you." 

"Mm, seems Alpha's all gone."

Tony smiled and kissed his Omega. He'd play Omega for Steve when ever he needs but he liked this side of Steve. This soft affectionate side. Tony made love to Steve, soft, slow, simple. Kisses were deep but soft, their hands never stilled, every inch of reachable skin was touched. Tony felt the bond flare up again and Tony felt the deep wave of contentment wash over him.

And as stupid as it may sound to anyone but when he came, Steve coming untouched at the same time, he knew this was the moment that their baby was being created.

They stayed awake this time, kept kissing, kept making love. When Tony's knot faded enough to move away he stayed, holding his Omega. They laid forehead to forehead for another hour before Steve felt another flash of want hit him. Tony could smell the change and responded by hardening back up, still impossibly in Steve. They shifted only enough to make this position work and stayed that way most of the day. Looking at each other and kissing till their lips were tender.

Steve's appetite finally drove them from the bed, back into the shower before feasting on whatever Jarvis had ordered for them when they made love again in the shower. Tony was ever so glad he'd installed benches in all the shower when he was washing Steve and he moaned that little moan he's gotten now when he knows he's wet. Tony pulled him over to the bench and sat down pulling Steve into his lap, reminding him of how he had ridden Steve. Steve came a fifth time untouched, no hint of knot.

Steve ate quietly, just as he had before, but Tony couldn't feel anything bad through the bond, so hoped it was just sexual exhaustion. He smirked when Steve shifted and winced, but felt bad. 

"I know it's funny. You don't have to feel bad." Steve finally broke the silence.

"Sure I can. Wish this would let up on you already. Two days straight of sex is enough to rough up even a super solider."

"Don't think there's anything straight about what we've been doing." 

Tony laughed, "No I suppose not. Other than a sore ass..." He didn't want to ask how are you feeling for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Better, really. Things are more clear. You still smell amazing but it's not making me lightheaded like it did before." 

"Jarvis?"

"It appears the Captains hormones have dropped to a quarter of what they were. However, they will not be dropping any lower for several months."

Even though they knew it was a certainty both men jerked at the announcement.

"You can tell already?" Steve asked quietly. 

"Other levels are rising so it seems logical, but it will be three weeks before it can be verified."

Steve sat silent again his head down, looking at his stomach. His heart beat fast. He still couldn't decide if he was ready for this. But was anyone ever ready? God he was terrified. He blinked and Tony was standing in front of him, hand on his shoulder, lightly pressing on his bonding gland. He felt the calm slide over him. It wasn't enough to make the fear go away, just lessened it so he could breath. "I feel like I have asthma again. I keep forgetting how to breath."

"That's not asthma, it's panic." Tony knelt down, "you," he stressed the word, "you have options, for days, weeks even."

Steve shook his head. He couldn't do it. It was just one to many things against his soul. "I can't Tony." He shook his head again. "Their ours. This is the way it's suppose to be. I know you are not one for God..."

"It's alright Steve. This is about what you want. I'm here either way, what ever your reason for the decision." Tony pulled Steve from the chair and hugged him. "It's always only ever your choice."

"Thank you." 

"Come on, you're still dead on your feet. Let's see if you can sleep for a few more hours." 

Tony pulled him along and tucked him in, kissing his cheek, before leaving the bedroom. Steve was asleep before Tony was at the elevator.

In the shop Tony dropped down on to his couch, his head in his hands. What the fuck had he gotten into? Less than 72 hours ago, he was single. Now thanks to Steve's damn serum and biology he had a bonded Omega and was going to be a father in however long Steve's body decided it needed to incubate the little rugrat. How the hell was this his life? Oh yeah Avengers, yep that one word answered sooooooooo many questions.

"So Steve didn't rip off your head and eat you?" Natasha asked leaning against the door frame. 

"Not his way. Think your sister species are the only ones that do that." Tony was to tired to jerk at her unexpected appearance or he would have been stuck to the ceiling for how badly she's scared him.

She quirked an eyebrow and a shoulder but sat down next to him a soft hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

"I've asked Steve that so many times I pretty much hate those words. But I'm fine, he's fine, we think. For now." Tony sighed and set back his head laying on the back of the couch his eyes still closed, maybe if he kept them closed long enough the world would shift and he'd wake up from this weird ass dream.

"He's stabilized till his next heat?"

"Sure, in about nine months." He felt the flinch in Tasha's hand on his leg. "Trust me, I know. Knew before we even started. Best guess Bruce, Jarvis, and I can come up with is..." He took a deep breath, "if Steve hadn't been living with us, you and me; mostly me, this might have taken years to manifest. Then Barton's mess that day, and him and I trading scents, triggered something. But he stalled it by ditching us for six weeks. Then I over dosed him by talking to him in his apartment and him telling me he thought I was attractive pumped up my hormones which messed with his...big loop for about twenty minutes...and that was enough to full on trigger this. We kind of think if this had happened later it wouldn't have been such a push, he would have waited the usual few months for his first cycle and it wouldn't have been so hard on him. But he also wouldn't have had so many hormones floating around in his system that it was 100% guaranteed that he was going to get pregnant. And maybe the bonding gland wouldn't have shown up so even if I was still going to be his Alpha we could have used protection but with that gland and the heat and...fuck." Tony wound down, dragging his hands over his face and pushing off the couch all in one motion. 

He paced for a moment until he turned and Tasha was in his way, arms wrapping around him, "Please don't kill me." He squeaked.

Tasha laughed, "I won't. That would be a mercy and I'm not that nice," she offered a sly smile. "I want to see you survive a teenager."

"Oh god. I'll be 60. What the fuck is the universe thinking?"

"That Iron Man can handle anything."

"Then the universe is stupid." 

"Probably."

"He's terrified." Tony added softly.

"Probably."

"I'm terrified and if you say probably I'm going to hit you, Black Widow or not."

She just smiled and hugged him again. 

"Okay that's even creepier. Stop it. Threaten me or something please. Quick jab a needle in my neck." Tony tipped his head to the side.

Instead Tasha kissed the spot she'd plunged the needle in years ago.

"Ahhh. Go away. You're a pod person or something. I can't handle this now. Stop being nice. Just stop." Tony's eyes were frantic.

She stepped back, her blank face returned, "Alright, I'll stop playing nice. Fuck this up and I'll kill you slowly."

Tony sighed in relief, "Oh thank God. I have so much I need to be doing, but all I can think about is Steve asleep in his bed, that he's mine but I don't even know if he even likes me. Now we're tied together until I die, because let's face it that's a certainty in this relationship, no mater what his birth certificate says. Oh god why do I keep pouring out my soul to you?"

"Because you're stressed out and I'm here."

"Yeah sure I guess. I'm not really a monologuer."

Tasha smirked.

"Okay maybe a little." Tony gave in.

"Work down here for a bit, work off some of your fear and frustration. Clint and I will go watch Cap. If he's not through with his heat yet we'll call you. But you will be upstairs for dinner no matter what you're doing."

"I will make sure he is, Agent Romanoff."

"Thanks Jarvis."

"Yeah. Okay straightening out the armor it is." Tony said turning to a pile of red and gold to his left. Jarvis turned on Metallica, set the level to mind numbing and locked the door behind Natasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and please don't fillet me alive if my time math doesn't add up. I tried like six times to count out the hours and kept getting lost in the story and six paragraphs added later I had not clue what time it was supposed to be.


	10. Chapter 10

Tony beat on the armor for an hour but ended up making it worse so he stopped and fiddled with some schematics instead. Those he could reset to last saved and only be out time, not five million in gold titanium alloy.

And after the third mathematical mistake Jarvis caught Tony gave up. He laid down on the couch and was sleep instantly.

He wasn't sure how long he slept but he woke to blue eyes with a bit of hesitancy. "Uh, I should go." Steve said trying to stand. 

Tony felt the tingle of apprehension, he reached out and pulled on Steve's hand till he sat next to Tony on the couch.

"I want you." Tony said slowly. "I'm happy I'm your Alpha. I'm glad your my Bonded. But if you aren't, tell me. I'll take care of you and the baby, always."

Steve shivered. "I told you the answer wasn't no. I'm scared, but yes I want you to. I'm happy to be your Omega, as often as my body will let me." Steve joked mildly. "I'm glad I'm your Bonded. And I hope we take care of the baby always."

Tony sat up and held Steve tight. "We'll figure everything out."

"Yeah. Um Natasha said if I didn't get you to the table soon you were going to be eating with a straw."

"Yeah we should go." Tony only panics a little bit. "I don't want to ask. You're sick of it I'm sure..."

"I'm okay. Tired, a little shaky, but okay. You smell like before." Steve jerked a bit. "Sort of. You still smell like I want to be wrapped around you, but it's softer." He shrugged.

"Like maybe you want to later, not you have to right now." Tony explained for him.

Steve let out a groan, "Yes. Okay yes like that."

Tony hugged Steve again and took his hand, "We'll see about it, after some food, camaraderie, and sleep." Tony kissed Steve hand and led him upstairs to dinner and he hoped not to his death.

The table was set, everyone waiting for them. They had the china out, with candles and the over head lights were turned down. 

Steve sat to Tony's left and Tony smiled. It was a thing Bonded couples had started to do. The Bonded tended to sit down so that the Bonding mark was on the side of their mate. Seemed more of an unconscious act most of the time. He doubted anyone had told Steve about it.

"Figured it's not everyday one of this bunch is going to get bonded." Clint offered. "Let alone to each other." 

The kitchen smelled amazing, Steve could tell Bruce had been cooking when the curry was set down in front of them and that Clint had been in the kitchen as well when a heaping basket of naan was set down. Bruce had never gotten the hang of flipping the Indian bread to make it light and fluffy but Clint was a magician with it.

Natasha had baked at some point to because there was a beautiful honey cake waiting for them. 

Thor smiled, shyly for the God, "I have no talents in the kitchen. No dish to add."

"It's fine big guy. You've been a vikining for centuries. Bet you can roast a mean boar."

Thor laughed at Tony's jest, "Aye brother. It seemed excessive for this repast. And there was insufficient time."

"Maybe we could go to the mansion." Tony said a shrug, "take a weekend and get away from the city have a big pig roast."

"Mansion?" Steve asked, wincing at the squeak in the word.

Tony turned and looked at Steve, a evil little smile playing across his lips. "You do realize you just got bonded to one of the the richest men on the planet right? And by federal laws you get half? That while I may not be CEO of Stark Industries anymore, I still own controlling stock in it and now so do you? That your monthly SHIELD pay doesn't even match what I make on interest in one hour? You did know that right?"

Steve's face paled more with each new sentence. 

"Owwww. Damn it Natasha." Tony rubbed the back of his head were she had just hit him. 

"Stop scaring him."

"Well it's not like it's not true. And come on you know I have the house in Malibu." Fear for his head made Tony not mention the other houses all over the globe he owned. 

Steve paled again, he'd forgotten. "Uh sure."

"You're still you. You just never have to worry about that again. And not like I'm going to let you live in some horrible litt- you know I'm just going to stop before you get mad at me for insulting how you grew up since I just remembered how you grew up." Then Tony stuffed a whole piece of naan in his mouth.

"It was the depression Tony everybody had it hard."

Tony shook his head. No way was he going to get caught in that argument trap. 

Steve sighed, "Do I have to dress like you?"

Everyone chuckled, even Thor.

"No one can dress like Tony but Tony." Bruce said.

"Only for events that you can't get out of." Tony said with a half a shoulder shrug.

"Fine. There, uh, anyway I can give it back to you? Not saying I don't want it, just that I don't need it." Steve asked his hands up to stall whatever Tony was going to say.

"No one needs it but I have it, or half of it now. Give it to the kid, or not since it'll get all of it when we die. If you die." Tony added shaking his head.

"Okay with that, a topic change." Clint said quickly. "Where do we find a pig big enough for Thor to roast and not feel like he's cooking a Cornish game hen instead of a forty pound turkey? Since you know Asgard, I'm sure everything is huge."

"How large do your boars grow?"

"Jarvis?" Clint spoke up.

"There is a butcher of 43rd that should be able to help with your search. I can inquire in the morning if you would like. Though from the information we have received from Asgard, we will have nothing so large. It would only be the size of a yearling."

"'Tis fine for our small group. I will need to see the size to plan how long it will need to roast." Thor said stroking his beard in thought.

"Right, so plans for this weekend?" Tony asked. 

"I've got nothing planned." Steve smiled. 

"A quick trip into SHIELD for a debrief from some units due in Friday night, is all I've got." Clint smiled. 

"Yoga class first thing, but no." Tasha answered.

Bruce was the last to answer, "Nothing I can't postpone."

"So Bonding party at Stark Mansion. Plus ones are allowed, if anyone has one." 

Clint was the only one to smirk, Tony shivered at the though of who the archer's plus one could be.

The night was nice and quiet after the party was agreed on. The team broke up after demolishing Natasha's cake, leaving nothing behind. 

Tony pulled a sleepy Steve along the hall way to the penthouse. But stopped at the door, "Do you want to sleep with me?"

"I thought I had." Steve said confused.

Tony wiped a tired hand over his face. He swallowed and asked point blank, "Do you want to live with me in the penthouse? We've sort of done this backwards. I know you said you were happy to be my Bonded, but do you want to be with me like we are married?"

"Oh," Steve jerked back at the question, he saw the flash of fear in Tony's eyes, but it was quickly masked. "Yes. I sort of figured that..." Steve shrugged. "I kinda thought that we already were. That it was sort of implied with the Bonding."

"Usually it is. But like I said, backwards. I didn't want to be pushy and assume."

Steve stepped into Tony's space, reaching out and tipping Tony's face up towards his, "Yes I want to sleep with you in the penthouse. I want to sleep where ever you are laying your head. Yes I want to live with you like we're married. And maybe someday we can make it so we are." Then he leaned down and chastely kissed Tony.

When Steve pulled back, Tony smiled, "See same book, same page."

Steve laughed, "Let's see how long that lasts."

Tony smiled and walked into their penthouse and their bedroom. "Oh, uh, guess I should have asked if you wanted to go and get a few things for tonight."

"Hm, yeah I think at least a toothbrush." Steve's face went scarlet. 

"If that's code for pajamas because you don't sleep naked, it's fine."

"Oh both and clothes for the morning."

Tony nodded and walked over to his dresser as Steve left for his room. He generally slept in whatever he passed out in. If he managed to go to bed it was naked. He pulled out a pair of cotton lounge pants he had for late mornings. He wouldn't make his Bonded uncomfortable their first sane night together. 

Steve came back a few minutes later, one arm covered in sleep pants, t-shirt and robe, the other with jeans, t-shirt, jogging gear and with toothbrush in hand. 

Tony looked at his dresser and his closet, he had both of them full. He was going to have to go through everything to make room for Steve. He walked over and took the clothes for tomorrow from Steve and laid them on top of the dresser. "I'll make room for your clothes tomorrow. Do you want to move everything up all at once or a little bit at a time?"

Steve shrugged, "Can I think about it in the morning?"

"Absolutely." Tony smiled. Steve turned away to go into the bathroom and Tony cringed. God he was a mess. Why was he the Alpha again? He changed quickly and sat on the edge of the bed not know if Steve preferred one side over the other. The door, no door question rolled by Tony's mind. 

Steve came out in the soft cotton pants and t-shirt and stopped. 

"Didn't know if you had a side."

"Uh left." Steve waved at the side furthest from the door.

"Got it." Tony stayed where he was.

Steve walked up to him and stood in front of him. "Is this going to be weird?"

"Probably." He grimaced mentally at Natasha's word. "I get nightmares still from Afghanistan and well the nuke."

"I wake up with asthma attacks I can't have anymore and watching Bucky fall from the train, oh and crashing the plane."

"So we will more than likely wake each other up at some point."

Steve smiled, " Yes. But we'll also be able to help the other go back to sleep. Or distract them so it doesn't matter."

"Got it." Tony said again. He wrapped his arms around Steve's waist. "I am glad your here even if I wish it had happened under different circumstances."

Steve ran a hand over Tony's hair, "I'm glad I'm here to, no matter the circumstances."

"Alright, sleep, not interrupted by sex. Wow did I just say that?" Tony shook his head and pulled the covers back, then squawked when Steve climbed over him to the far side of the bed.

"Thing's huge, would have been morning by the time I got to my side of the bed." Steve joked.

"I am surrounded by sass." Tony sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The butcher thing was a random street. I didn't look it up. I'm being lazy. Don't kill me if that's like fashion central or something.
> 
> And it killed me not to say Natasha Gibbs's slapped Tony but I didn't want to cross the streams. *sigh*


	11. Chapter 11

"Why can't villains figure out I have plans?" Tony groused firing at an incoming giant wasp. It splattered everything with in a 60 foot radius. 

"Maybe they can and want to ruin your fun?" Barton asked over comms.

"Quit the chatter." Steve said slamming his shield down on the head of a four foot ant.

"I want to know who sprinkled the MiricalGrow on the bug house?" Natasha said before going silent.

Tony laughed, she had a point. "I'm going up to see if I can find an ant trail." Tony shot up 'till he has far enough above the city he shouldn't be a sitting duck for the flying bugs. He flipped through a few spectrums until he found one that shimmered.

"Hey big guy, how about we go bug hunting. Thinking your brand of Raid will work just fine."

"You are lucky Darcy has resided in a less than desirable abode, Stark."

"You saying you got that one?"

"I did."

Steve lost it, "CHATTER!!"

There was silence.

"I'm sorry. Go fry these things so I can go home and hide for the next three days." Steve sighed.

"We understand Cap. You're stressed." Clint said, his voice calm.

Steve bit his tongue before he snapped again. Of course he was stressed. He wasn't even sure he should be fighting. What if he was pregnant? Would it hurt the baby? He was still such a mess.

"I'm fine, just battle only please."

A round of affirmatives made him feel as big as the bugs were suppose to be.

A few minutes later Steve could hear the rumble of thunder and saw a faint flash of lighting.

"Their good for dipping in chocolate now." Tony quipped. "And I have a rather pissed college dweeb in a net. Someone with a car and a cell want to come get him? I'm going to try to figure out his console and get his swarm back into their enclosures."

A voice he didn't recognize, came over the line, telling Iron Man they were 12 minutes out from his location. 

Steve groaned, of course it wasn't just his team who'd heard him snap. 

Fury knew about his change as did a few of the higher SHIELD agents and one or two in medical, but losing it over an open line was not how he wanted the rest if the agency to find out. SHIELD had just as many gossips as any other organization.

"Hey it's fine. You're allowed to have a shitty day." Tony said softly.

And Steve wanted to be irritated by the fact that just hearing Tony's voice in his ear calmed him down. "We're still live, Tony."

"Nope, memorex. Sorry you don't know that one yet. I had Jarvis switch our comms."

"I'm...hell I don't know what I am."

"You're tired, frustrated, and scared. I can feel all of it."

Sighing heavily, Steve said, "I'm trying to block it."

"You don't have to. I can handle it. I've gotten use to it this week."

"Still, I could distract you and you'd get hurt."

"We'll work on it. I got this thing figured out. They're inbound and you should be outbound. Go back to the tower and take a few minutes for yourself. We'll get clean up."

"No I'm alright now."

Tony shook his head. "Why are you so stubborn?" He shut off the comms and popped up the faceplate. He picked up the net and held the wriggling college kid up eye level with him. "Your stunt upset my plans. I should kick your ass."

Wriggling whimpered and Tony dropped him.

"Our Captain remains at his post?"

"Yes. I'd drag him back but I'm sure I'd end up pissing him off more. This could be fun. Two alphas living together. Or an alpha and a half?" Tony scratched the side of the helmet in thought.

"He was stubborn and proud before." Thor offered.

"Yeah and this is only going to make it worse. Afraid to see what he does when he gets close to term. Our bodies haven't adopted far enough for males to have kids yet, but they still get the contractions. I can tell you the last week or two...I'm living in the suit." Tony said wiggling his fingers.

Thor smiled, he'd seen more that one new warrior with fingers taped from their bride's strength during birth "Maybe just the gauntlets?"

"Naw my luck he'd want to rip off the piece that got him in the situation." Tony shuddered. 

Thor laughed and stepped on the edge of the net that had been edging away. He gave the wiggling a look of disappointment. The wiggling squeaked and curled into a ball. 

After that they tried to get to the mansion but something kept them tied up at the tower for all of the three weeks needed to see if Steve was truly pregnant. 

Thor had the pits dug and ready for the pig, which he'd ordered from the butcher Jarvis had suggested. The man was beside himself when the Thunder God had come in person to see his shop.

Finally Tony gave in and called Reed Richards and begged him to take the next big catastrophe. Susan had been on the line as well and agreed quickly. Johnny had even backed her up, saying that he had no problem helping out Steve, joked about taking one for the twin.

Tony was so happy to be free for three days, he was even nice to Reed, refraining from insulting him even once. 

Walking into the commons area Tony rubbed his hands together. "We are off duty for 72 hours. The city is covered. Hell the planet is covered. Let's go."

Steve looked at Tony warily. "What did you do?"

"I called Richards."

Steve jerked.

"I had to tell them. Their going to know soon enough. Besides, I told him we've taken one to many VonDoom calls for them and they owed us and that you needed a break before you killed us all in our sleep."

"I wouldn't do it in your sleep." Steve said hotly. 

"Come on. Let them pick up the bill once in a while." 

Steve sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

"Nope. It's done. Everyone go pack."

The group disappeared to gather what the wanted for a mini staycation. An hour later they left in several cars and traveled by separate routes so as to not broadcast that they were off the clock. It was a sure sign that some villain would pop up and start the clock.

Tony had the kitchen filled since it would take time to roast the pig the size Thor had purchased and they would need to eat before then. 

Everyone scattered finding rooms and unpacking before converging on the kitchen. The first night was nothing but food, drinks and conversation. Music filled the mansion for the first time in decades; possibly for the first time ever.

Tony couldn't remember ever remember being happier in this house. He watched his friends laugh and let loose in a way they never seemed to in the tower. Maybe it was because they were all still recovering from the Chitauri, still getting use to each other, Tony didn't know but he loved that the memories of his cold childhood in this house were being replaced.


	12. Chapter 12

Tony watched Steve smiling and laughing, he felt for the Bond and knew it wasn't a show. He watched Steve shake his head no at the offer of Thor's Asgardian brew, felt the surge of uncertainty but it was gone just as quickly when Bruce launched into a story about a language issue in India that ended up with him having a lap full of someone's goat as a payment for helping. It should have been an awful story but with Bruce's delivery it was hilarious. 

It was almost morning when the team finally called it a night, disappearing to their rooms. 

Tony and Steve went to the master bedroom but Tony stopped at the door. Steve turns and gave him a confused look.

"Parents's bedroom, just a little weird." Tony answered with a shrug. 

"You have plenty of rooms." Steve offered, stepping back out of the room.

"I know but, uh, Thor took mine, so, yeah, this is fine, just weird."

Steve was still a little reserved about starting anything sexual but he pulled Tony into the room and kissed him and walked them towards the bed. He was pretty pleased he was able to kiss well enough to distract Tony enough to do it. He kept kissing Tony, getting them on the bed and undressing them both.

Tony finally broke the kiss, panting. "Is this your way of saying Alpha wants to play again?"

Steve shook his head. "Don't think so."

"Okay." Having only been together a few weeks they hadn't explored much yet. Tony was pretty much game for anything, so offered, "Why don't you come up here and I'll suck your cock while I open you. Then you can ride me."

Steve went pinker with each word but did move so he was poised over Tony's shoulders, freeing his arms. 

Tony smiled and put his all into making his Bonded come for the first time tonight. Each time they'd been together Tony had tried for a three to one ratio. It seemed to be a good number for getting Steve to the nice fluffy warm afterglow feeling. Plus Tony was forty-five and not a super solider...

Tony had learned enough about Steve's body to get the timing down so that when Steve came in sticky ropes on his tongue he could get three fingers comfortably in Steve ass. As soon as Steve was coherent again Tony maneuvered him so he was over Tony's cock and guide the man down onto it. 

"This way you control the speed and depth." Tony whispered kissing along Steve's jaw. Laying back, "Go for it."

Steve's face was warm again but he didn't think it was embarrassment this time. He found through trial and error what felt best, though really there was no error.

Tony watched with delight as Steve figure out what he liked, what Tony liked, making it work for both of them. He was happy to see Steve open up and start to feel free about sex. It wasn't that he'd been cold or anything but after his heat had broken he seemed more reserved when they were together. 

Tony reached for Steve's cock and began stroking it receiving a stuttered moan for a prize. A few strokes later his reward was Steve coming all over his hand. Tony grabbed a shirt and cleaned it off before guiding Steve so he was on his side, Tony behind him. Tony hooked Steve's leg over the top of his, opening him further before pressing in deeply. The sound Steve made, made Tony want to come on the spot, it sounded so delicious. 

Tony took Steve to the edge a third time but held him off, loving the desperate sounds he was getting, the panting moans and the whimpered cries. Then when he felt Steve's orgasm building up a forth time Tony let their Bond through and let that push him over taking Steve with him.

They stayed tied for a half hour or more before moving to clean up. The pair curled up in bed and slept half the morning away, content in their glow. 

When they finally ventured downstairs in the morning everyone was up and there was an extra person there sitting next to Clint. 

Steve walked over and introduced himself, to the man he guessed was Martin. The stammered return introduction confirmed Clint's statement about Martin being a fan.

"Sir, it's an honor. I have to tell you I wrote a paper on your tactical assessments for my graduation paper from the SHIELD Ops Academy." The stocky man with dark red hair said with pride.

Steve smiled, putting out his hand, Martin shook it with a firm but not overpowering grip, "Do you still have a copy? I'd like to read it."

Behind him Tony joked, "Wait what grade did they give you? Because Steve's tactical expertise...unparalleled at the time."

Martin smiled, "I still think they are. I was given an A- because I didn't agree with a few of his more risky plans solely on the fact that he was the only one who could have ever attempted them because anybody else would have gotten killed."

"But the thing about a good plan is using the team's skills accordingly. You don't send your hand to hand specialist out to be a sniper when they can't hit the broadside of a barn," Steve countered.

"True, but this was a compare and contrast paper, so there for your tactics are unlikely to work for anyone not having a death wish." All this was said while Martin still retained the fanboy smile. 

"I planned other missions not for the Commandos, all but one had great success. And the one was because we had bad intel. It's all about the team."

"Okay enough shop talk, this is a Bonding party. And I've been forced to smart before caffeine. Blasphemy and needs to be stopped." Tony grumbled making for the coffee. Bruce handed him a cup and he moaned like he'd found the eighth sin. Natasha shook her head, sitting on the counter holding her own cup of heaven.

"He's an addict, you'll have to forgive him." Steve said, amusement showing. 

"Yeah I think most people are highly functioning addicts." Martin joked back.

"That most people includes him." Clint said, clinking his cup to the one on the table where Martin had been sitting.

Martin shrugged.

The kitchen died down to slurps and moans as caffeine was consumed. Steve had never been overly found of the bitter brew so opted for juice instead. 

Clint was the one to ask the question floating around everyone's minds, "When do you get to find out?" He kept the question vague in case Steve didn't want to talk about it in front if Martin.

Steve looked at Tony, who shrugged. "Jarvis said the tests should be accurate now. Might be pulling a little bit of a head in the sand act at the moment. Either way will be hard." Steve took a drink of his juice, "I think I'll take the test in the morning. I read that pregnancy tests are more effective then." He flinched when he said the word. It made it an even bigger reality just to say it.

"Do we even have one?" Tony asked, only a slight wheeze from sucking in his coffee.

"I bought one the first time I left the tower after..."

Clint laughed, "Oh god your face is so red. You sure you're not going Red Skull on us?" 

Steve gasped but ended up laughing. That was what Clint had been after. The others joined in. The merriment brought in Thor from the patio.

"You're all awake. The pit and beast are readied and the roasting had been begun."

"Is there anything we need to do while it cooks?" Martin asked.

Thor shook his head, "Nah, just enjoy the camaraderie of friends. I believe there are other dished that are going to be prepared to accompany the beast, perhaps the other will need the use of an extra set of hands."

Clint drained the last bit off coffee and since Thor had been outside for the announcement Clint updated him, "Cap's going to find out tomorrow if we are all uncles."

"Great news." Thor said, a smile large enough to been seen from Asgard lit up his face. "It has been far to many centuries since I've held a small one. They are so precious."

"You sure you don't have a few hundred running around?" Tony asked.

"Doubtful, one born from me would be a royalty. The mother would surely want the life that would come with having a child of the heir, even a bastard child."

Tony shrugged.

"What of you Stark? You have never curtailed your dalliances." Thor asked.

"No, I haven't before. Was always careful, no glove, kinda thing, but if there was, the mom would have already come out of the woodwork."

Steve got quite and stared at his glass of juice. He was torn. He'd always wanted kids, but doubted anyone would want him before the serum, then he hadn't had time. He'd also been afraid of passing any of his illnesses on to the children. "Tony."

Tony heard the concern in Steve's voice, he'd gotten up to get more coffee so instead he turned and wrapped his arms around Steve's shoulders, "What's the matter?" He could feel the trepidation and concern.

"What if the baby has all of my health issues? I wasn't exactly healthy before Dr. Erskine." 

Clint tipped his head and the rest of the group nodded, leaving quietly, letting the couple have some privacy.

Tony pulled out a chair and sat down next to then turned Steve towards him, knees to knees. "I don't think it will. The serum changed you on a genetic level. It didn't cure your asthma, it wrote it out of your DNA. And even then, some of what made you sick would have been able to been treated by diet now. You didn't know or even have that option during the depression. But if the baby has any problems, we'll be here for them. It won't be your fault." Tony assured Steve. "You are perfect and the baby will be to."

Steve could only nod. "Sorry."

"Don't be. We know your emotions are still all over. And it's a valid concern, I just don't think it's going to prove true." Tony leaned forward and kissed Steve's forehead. "Either way, it'll be okay." Tony stood up, held out a hand to Steve, "Come on, there's something I wanted to show you."


	13. Chapter 13

Tony pulled Steve along to Howard's study. It was exactly like Howard had left it. Empty crystal tumbler sitting next to an outdated rotary phone, pencils strewn across a half finished schematic, three decanters on the desk, even a stack of unopened mail.

Tony walked to shelf in the corner and shifted two bottles, then there was a click and a hiss. The shelf popped out from the wall. Tony pulled it further, reached in and fumbled till he found a light switch. "Come on." Steve followed Tony down the narrow spiral staircase at the bottom Tony flipped another switch and the floor lit up. "Welcome to Howard Stark's private workshop."

Steve looked around, he was startled by what he saw. There were several guns laid out on tables, in varying stages of completion, blue print paper in stacks every where, and Dumdum's bowler. Steve reached for but stopped himself.

Tony saw and felt the wash of grief. "I should have checked first." He steps into Steve's space and threads their fingers together. Tony glances around and winces, in the far corner is a familiar shade of military green. He knows the second Steve follows his line of site. 

"He kept it?"

"After you crashed, he had it brought here. He didn't want the military trying again. Peggy destroyed his vile of your blood and he wanted to make sure that part of the equation was kept secret. I feel bad, if Bruce had had this piece, things may have worked out better for him."

Steve nodded, his gaze falling back to the hat. He reached out and let himself touch it this time, let himself pick it up. He smiled sadly when the scent of Dugan's cigars caught him. "You know he'd been the first to laugh at me about this. Say something about me being the only one in the world to be able to get myself in this kind of situation." Steve set the hat back down. 

"I met him, well all of them, one time or another. I saw him the most though. Always had those dumb cigarette candies, he'd sit in the sunroom smoke his cigar, I'd sit and pretend to do the same thing. I was five.  
Jacque was the only one I only met once. He died shortly after I met him. Heart attack in his sleep, laying next to his wife of almost forty years. She died later that year.  
Jones met this nice teacher, brought her by a couple times. I've met one of his grandsons, Trip, good guy. Mortia, had a couple kids to, lost one in Vietnam.  
Monty, met some jazz singer, but she couldn't have kids, they adopted a couple."

Steve nodded, he'd read all the names and dates, seen pictures, but it was nice to hear that they had been happy. It was nice to hear it from someone who had seen it. He leaned into Tony's frame. They wondered around each table, Tony let Steve look and touch anything he wanted. The Rebirth chamber was the last Steve walked over to. It was flat at the moment. Steve ran a hand over the lid. "When I stepped into it, I didn't think I was going to come out. I didn't. I hoped God would understand why I had to try and change what he'd given me and still let me into heaven. I figured I was about five seconds away from seeing my mom and dad or well never seeing anyone I knew ever again."

Tony set his hand on Steve shoulder.

"Could have put three of me in there when they closed the door, when they opened it I was being smothered. I remember thinking there was to much space between my feet and the bottom. Then I was standing in front of everyone, everything felt so odd. My body felt heavy, but not my lungs. I stepped out and breathed like I had my whole life and felt light headed. Tried to take a deeper breath and oh god Tony there wasn't any resistance, no pain. Then the explosion and the gun shots."

Tony had heard the story more than once. Erskine took two, and couple of the guards faired just as well as him.

"Peggy was the first person I saw clearly. I couldn't see some shades of red. Her lip stick was the first true red I'd ever seen. It was beautiful."

"Always was. Never saw her without it. There was a rumor for a bit that they were going to discontinue the color. Dad joked if they did he'd buy the company for her so she could fire the idiot who thought that was a good idea."

Steve tried to chuckle but it came out as a gasping sob instead. Tony turned him and wrapped him up in a tight embrace. "I wish I could give them back to you."

"You are. This is more than I had five minutes ago." Steve stiffened but didn't move. After a moment he sighed, "I miss them, I try not to, I only had them those few years but we ended up so close."

"They were family. Each time I saw them, they made sure to remember you and Bucky. I know when Jack, Morta's son, died, his picture went next to your's and Bucky's on the family's house shrine." Tony spoke softly, rubbing soft circles over Steve's back. "Come on let's go back upstairs and find the others."

Steve shook his head. He didn't want to be surrounded by his new team right now, the memories of his old to fresh. "Can we go back to our room please? I can't...people."

Tony laughed, "You've seen one to many memes if you can pull that out." He maneuvered them through the maze and got them to the stairwell.

Steve shrugged, "It's very true right now."

"We can do what ever you want. It's your party."

"Our party." Steve corrected.

"You know if we disappear, everyone's going to assume we're having sex?" Tony suppressed the urge to laugh as he closed the panel.

"Well we wouldn't want to make liars of them." Steve said.

He turned to his bonded and starred at him for a moment, "Look at you, instigating shenanigans, sexy shenanigans even. I couldn't be more proud. And in under a month."

"Alright corrupter of innocents, lets go and see what else I can make you proud of."

"Still liking this." Tony pulled them up the back flight of stairs to his parents room. Once through it Steve pushed him against the door and all but devoured him. The kiss was the most feral thing Steve had done yet. It sent a shiver down his spine, if Tony'd been an Omega he'd been a mewling drenched mess. As it was he was hard and leaking. "Defiantly still liking this."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh Steve gets to have Alpha sex.  
> ;)

"God, Tony, I don't know what's going on." Steve whispered, his voice rough but pitched with fear.

"My guess, you just had an Alpha spike, totally fine with that. I packed a couple things just in case. Come here." Tony pulled on Steve's hand until he got the hint. Tony pushed him down on the bed and grabbed a smaller suitcase that had been left next to the bed. When he opened in Steve inhaled, his nostrils flaring, a growl slipping by. Tony just smirked.

The case held a half a dozen different sex toys. He reached in and pulled out the two largest plugs. "You are going to open me up, then your going to fuck me loose with these." Tony whispered in Steve's ear. "Then your going to fuck me with that pretty Alpha knot of yours."

The growl turned into a stable rumble. The words spoken contradicted the rumble, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't if you use these. I've taken one before."

The rumble deepened.

"Baby, you need to calm down. We're bonded now, better then being catholic, no divorce, no annulment. You're stuck with me 'till one of us dies. The only knot I'll ever feel from now on is yours." Tony soothed. He'd set up temporary net for Jarvis in a few locations, this room was one. "Jarvis scan Cap for me, please."

"His Alpha hormones have skyrocketed to almost 75% over his general 3%, Sir."

"Yep. Great." Tony layer back, he'd never gotten to this point as an Alpha but then he fucked a lot. "Kay, note to self Stevie boy goes Alpha least once a week from now on."

Steve whimpered. "I'm okay, Tony. I can't." His chest heaved. "I'll hurt you if I touch you right now. Just leave until I calm down."

"Uh no. Alpha all the time," tony said pointing to himself, "this is a reaction to not knotting often enough. I've never had it but I know others who have. It's a mess still, no one knows how often is bare minimum for healthy, but since you've only done it once..." Tony sat up and kissed Steve. Steve's hand instantly fitted in to the comforter. 

"So, your going to make this quick and dirty."

Steve shook his head with determination. "I won't hurt you."

"I didn't say anything about that. I like me." Tony smiled. "You just won't be sappy and tender." Tony pulled of his shirt, then laid back and shimmied out of his pants. "Hmm, grab the bottle of lube out of the case."

Steve grabs the bottle, a little baffled by the sheer size of it. When he looks at Tony, Tony laughs, "Takes a bit of prep. Come on, you're not touching me."

Steve opens the bottle and drizzled a little on his fingers, "Guess we should have done this sooner, still don't know what I'm doing."

"Those go in here, one at a time." Tony said grabbing Steve's wrist and guiding it to his ass. Steve leaned down and kissed his bonded as he slowly pressed into Tony, the moan ended with a gasp and a whimper as the finger pressed in further, the retreated. "Oh yeah, yeah, that, more of that." Tony whispered.

Steve followed Tony's panted instructions, kissing him, holding down the Alpha feelings trying to strangle him. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to enjoy this side of himself much. He sure as hell wasn't going to let it get to the point where he couldn't think again. He had four fingers working Tony open before Tony told him to grab the bigger of the two plugs.

"You said you needed both." He was happy he'd managed to keep the growl out of his voice, okay mostly out of his voice.

"Underestimated the size of your fingers. It's be fine, promise." Tony shivered.

Steve frowned but looking at the toy and his hand Tony was probably right, it was only slightly bigger than his fingers but smaller than his fist. The sudden thought of his hand in Tony's body hit him like he'd been punched, he groaned and doubled over, he head dropping onto Tony's thigh.

"Steve?"

"Sec." Steve groaned, he shivered, hard and sat up taking a deep breath. "I'm okay. Random thought, I'm fine."

"Hmm, good or bad random thought?"

"Don't know." Steve still hadn't taken another breath. 

"Uh you know you still need to breath right?"

Steve shook his head. It made the world swim. He felt Tony start to sit up but he held him down with one hand on his chest, just below the reactor. Slowly he let the breath out, pant by pant. Then he forced himself to breath slowly. When he felt like he could talk and not come apart he said, "I'll tell you later. I can't think right now. God I need you so bad."

"Come here." Tony pulled Steve down to him, kissed him. "Just work the plug in a few times, just so it slides in easily, it will be enough. I'm not short changing myself on the prep." Tony said before Steve could interrupt. "But you're not going to last much longer."

Steve swallowed and did as Tony said, the plug resisted for a half a second then slowly Tony's body accepted the intrusion. Tony moaned, his eyes rolling up and then fluttering shut when the flare settled into his body. "I forget how good this feels. Hm, ah, do that again." So Steve pulled it free then slipped it back in, this time Tony's body pulled it in and the moan was louder. "One more time." Tony whispered, breathlessly this time.

Once more, pull, push, whimper, Steve twisted the toy and pulled it free for the last time. He threw it to the side, then leaned up over Tony, kissed him as he sank into his waiting ass. It was Steve's turn to whimper. "Oh god. You feel amazing." 

Tony smiled, he leaded up to the site of Steve's bonding mark, licked it and nibbled it. Steve shuddered and reared back, adjusting their position, he picked up Tony's legs, draping them over his fore arms and started drilling into Tony. Tony cried out. He'd never been much of a moaner before Steve, but either side, sex with Steve was amazing. Now all he could do was moan and gasp and all but keen. The hips on his bonded, yeah, a work of mechanical art. Steve had found his own internal rhythm and it was heavenly.

Tony tried to hold back and come with Steve, knowing it would help the pain when Steve finally came. "Baby you've got to come soon, I can't hold on much longer." Tony rasped out, his throat raw.

"Oh hell," Steve shuddered again, "do it for me. Come."

He did, then Steve did and they both shouted. Tony figured everyone's idea of what was happening had just been confirmed. He felt a slight sting and whimpered in pain. 

"I'm sorry, God Tony I'm so sorry."

"It's alright sweetie, I'm fine now. Going to be uncomfortable is all. You feel so good though."

"Can't be both. Good or uncomfortable?"

"Sure it can be, it was uncomfortable now it's good. You can't stay up there the whole time we're knotted, you're going to have to move."

Steve shook his head, "To tight, if I move, I'll tear you."

"No you won't, lay down, just to the side of the reactor, I promise, we'll be fine."

Steve sighed but did as Tony asked. At the first touch of skin to skin Steve melted. Tony laughed, "Don't argue with your Alpha about Alpha things, you'll loose on sheer inexperience."

"Yes Alpha." Steve said sleepily. "Can I sleep on you? Will it be to much?"

"Nope so long as it's a short nap. I'll wake you when it gets to be to much." Tony said kissing the side of Steve's face, "Though you drool on me and all bets are off."

"Kay." 

Tony smiled at his sleepy Alpha. They were going to have to come up with something to call Steve. Almega? Ompha? He wrinkled his name at both. Amega? Olpha? God he sucked at names, that is why his bots were named: You Dummie and Butterfingers. Softly he said, "You're naming the kid. I'm shit with naming things."

A slurred, "Jarvis is nice," was heard.

"Jarvis is named after someone."

"Hmm, James if it's a boy please."

"Sleep."

"Kay."

Tony smiled. He realized he'd been doing that a lot lately. He could image their poor son's birth certificate. James Timothy Gabriel Jacques Stark. Though that didn't seem right, Steve's team had actually had three James's on it, Monty and Morita's first names had been James as well as Barnes. So maybe James Timothy Gabriel Montgomery ... No Tony remembered Morita didn't have a middle name. That was the last thought he had before he drifted off to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

The pressure was uncomfortable so Tony tried to move away from it but couldn't, it woke him up enough to remembered Steve.

"Hey sleepyhead. You've got to move now." Tony whispered. 

"Kay." Steve still asleep, rolled over, and Tony was glad Steve's knot had faded enough to not hurt him.

Tony got up and cleaned up. He heard voices in the hall so dressed enough to investigate. In the hall he found Bruce and Clint. 

"Guys?" Tony asked, closing the door behind him. 

"We just wanted to see if Steve was okay? He seemed upset this morning." Bruce asked. 

"Yeah. His system is still soup. He uh, well he's had a huge Alpha spike. The percentage of Alpha in his system...I didn't think about it, and it kinda bit me in the ass."

"I don't need to know that." Clint said hands over his ears.

"Oh shut up, I don't give you shit about taking it like an Omega." Tony hissed. 

"Because I am one. Look you got the baby thing straitened out right?" Clint answered. 

"He's taking the test in the morning." Tony reminded them.

"God Tony you're slow today. No, that the baby will be healthy." Clint laughed. 

"Oh yes," Tony blinked, yes he was being a little slow, "I think so. It will bug him 'til, well forever. I doubt that fear is ever going to go away honestly. This time or next, if there's one."

"Do you want there to be a next time?" 

Tony spun around at the sound of Steve's voice. "If you do and it's safe for you." Tony answered honestly. "With the serum it's probably fine. But if it's not, no, never, you are more important." Tony heard the pair leave so he stepped into Steve's arms. 

"I should just take the test huh? I mean Jarvis was sure that it would happen. Mornings not going-"

Tony interrupted him, placing a finger in Steve's lips, "You can take it whenever your ready to take it."

Steve walked them back into the room and sat on the bed. "So I'm pretty much terrified either way."

"I know. I am to. Either way, things can change a lot."

Steve looked at him like he'd lost his mind, "How do things change if I'm not?"

"Your body really wanted to be. If this is a false pregnancy it could make you sick, could... hell, who knows, your body is just plain weird to start with before the mutation... evolution... whatever they decide in a hundred years to call it." Tony knew he was rambling a bit, "Throw that into the mix, things are not going to be the same. They already aren't. You spiked to 75% Alpha. You've stayed at 3% since things leveled out. So that could mean your not, could mean you are and it has nothing to do with anything. You literally are going to be trial and error." Tony saw the fear flash over Steve's face and felt it in the bond. "That is not ideal no, but there's no other way. We, you, me, the team, will do everything we can to make the best of it." Tony stressed, "It will be okay."

"I wish I wasn't a giant mess." Steve sighed he dropped his head on Tony's shoulder. "Tired of feeling like I have no control again."

"This isn't like before the serum. That was something you would never have been able to control, not at that time. We will figure this out."

"Thank you Tony."

Tony ran a hand over Steve's hair for a few minutes until he felt the calm through the bond. "Do you want to take the test?"

Sighing, Steve nodded. "I need to know. I've looked at that stupid box every single morning, but I wasn't ready to know."

"Come on." Tony stood up and pulled Steve with him. He watched Steve stand up, square his shoulders and march to the bathroom like he was going into battle. Tony figured he sort of was, with his nerves. Tony waited a minute and then followed him. Steve was fumbling to open the packaging. Tony reached out and took the foil wrapped plastic stick away from the shaking fingers. He opened it and held the packaging out to Steve. "Did you read the instructions first?"

Steve swallowed, then nodded. "Pee, wait three minutes. One of two words will show up."

"Where do you want me?" Tony asked, keeping his voice calm.

"Here, just... oh hell." Steve was going to ask him to turn around, but that seemed stupid. He'd peed in front of people before, hell his dick had been in Tony less than an hour ago. He unzipped his pants he'd put only only moments ago, then heard Tony turn away but it was just to lean against the door. Steve blushed hard, he could feel how hot his face was. "Why the hell am I blushing?" He whispered to himself.

"Because you're you." Tony turned at the sound of the toilet flushing. 

Steve set the stick on the foil wrapping and washed his hands.   
"So three minutes. What to do for three minutes?"

"I know something we can do for three minutes." Tony smiled and pulled Steve down a few inches to kiss him, then he changed his mind, and turned him until he was against the toilet, Tony pushed on his shoulders 'til he sat down. Now they where closer to the same height. Tony never stopped the light diversionary kiss. There was a soft chime from the bedroom that he was sure was Jarvis letting him know three minutes were up. He broke the kiss and pulled Steve's head down to his shoulder. "Do you want to look or do you want me to?"

"Same time?" Steve muffled into Tony's shoulder. 

"Ready?"

Steve sat up and looked to his left, Tony to his right. "So that looks like it says pregnant," Tony joked.

"Yeah pretty sure that's what that word is." Steve chuckled. 

"Better?"

"Maybe. Could be wrong?"

"We know it's not."

"I know. Thought I'd try avoidance once, see what it feels like?" Steve said softly, melting into Tony's arms as they wrapped around his shoulders.

"Nope I've cornered that market. No real estate left for you." 

Steve smiled, "Always a day late and a dollar short."

"Nope I've got that one to, the being late part anyways." Tony felt for the bond, Steve was still a little scared but it was overpowered by the sense of acceptance. 

"Should we go tell them or make them wait?" Steve asked taking a deep calming breath in. 

"Tell them, if I have to deal with questions before coffee in the morning there will be violence." Tony said, his voice serious. 

"Fine." Steve kissed Tony's cheek, "let me up then."

Tony shook his head, "Kinda like you right there." Tony sat down on Steve's thighs. 

"Oh come on Tony. Let's go do this before I freak out and change my mind."

Tony turned serious, "You can, I'm sure we can figure out - that wasn't what you meant."

"No." Steve said very slowly. "Could never do that." 

Tony remembered the conversation in the shower, "No you said you couldn't, but it is a choice."

"I just meant about telling the team."

"I sort of got that about a second after I started talking." Tony said with a half smile, half cringe.

"Thank you being understanding either way."

"What I'm here for. So far I haven't managed to piss you off to much, but it has only been a couple weeks. I give it another three before I do something sublimely stupid."

"I'll try to remember that." Save said pushing Tony backwards so he could stand up. "Let's go. I haven't eaten yet, and I'm starving."

"Yep. Hang on a second though." Tony stopped in the bedroom, "Jarvis, check Steve please."

"He has dropped to 12%, Sir."

"Thanks. Uh oh we should get dressed." Tony looked down at the lounge pants he'd thrown on. Steve flashed red at the sight of just his jeans. They dressed again and left the master bedroom. In the living room was the entire group plus Fury. Martin looked just this side of terrified. 

Fury nodded to them as they entered the room, "Gentleman."

"Fury, didn't think you'd show up when I told you where we were going." Tony said pouring two club sodas.

"Seemed like a good place to tell you that you need to keep Captain Rogers close for a while. The WSC is making waves about his changes."

Everyone in the room went ridged, Bruce the most. "What kind of waves?" Tony asked.

"The kind that I would have me suggest you all stay here until I have a chance to have a few one on one discussions regarding their continued levels of stupidity. Romanoff and Barton are on a long term undercover missions with reports coming directly to me until I say other wise." Nick pointed at Tony, "You are on SI business and unreachable as usual, unless the world has ended. Dr. Banner is in a remote location helping displaced migrant workers, and Thor is off doing whatever Thor does."

"So we're hiding?" Steve asked, disdain in his voice.

"Yes. I need to find out what their end game is. I doubt it will be as nefarious as I think it could be, but I want to make sure."

"You think they want me and the baby."

"Worst case, yes. The world would never let that happen. The only reason they even think about letting anything happen to Banner is he scares them. If he was fluffy and pink, Ross would have been court-martialed years ago."

Bruce mumbled, "I'll remember that the next time I attempt something with gamma radiation." 

Fury's only response was a raised eyebrow, the one over the patch. That always bugged Tony but he kept it to himself.

"Well we could come out. If the world knows Steve pregnant every citizen will be watching out for him, well the good ones." Tony rambled, "but then we'd never get anything done, and if he was seen fighting, oh no bad idea."

"Tony, stop. It's fine. Talk the council sir. Remind them I remained with Shield out of loyalty to the SSR, the founder Howard Stark and Director Carter. Tell them adaptation is on going in and maybe I'm just the first know male with both traits."

"Do you believe that?" Nick asked.

Steve shook his head, "No, I think this is the serum doing what it does. Like keeping me functional for 66 years in the ice."

Nick nodded. "Enjoy your party. There will be a glitch in the system for some time with our satellites and your tower, Stark. There is going to be some interference in the range of what Thor's hammer throws out when it's throwing a temper tantrum. Nasty thing that hammer."

Thor smiled, "Yes, Mjolnir has a mind if her own."

"Your hammer is a girl?" Clint asked. 

"Mjolnir has no identity. However there is the sense that it is a woman, much like Midgard's love of naming their automobiles after women."

Nick shrugged, you didn't argue with a magic hammer, male or female.

"Since your here, Sir." Steve said standing straighter again.

Tony wanted to, well he didn't know what he wanted to do, smack the military out of Steve wasn't right, but every time Tony watched Steve go ruler straight, he wanted to pull out his own hair. 

"I would like to request maternity leave until further notice."

Clint smiled, "Thought you were going to do that in the morning." 

"Got sand in my eyes." Steve joked, to which Clint laughed. 

"I'll take care of the paperwork after I talk to the council. Do you have a doctor?"

Steve blanched. It was Tony who answered, "We'll take of it. We know not everyone at Shield is loyal to you, i.e. the missile I had to contend with."

"It's been brought to my attention." Nick turned to Martin, "Agent Callahan, you are currently detailed to work Ops with Agents Barton and Romanoff. I do not want to see you 'till I see them."

"Yes, sir." 

Fury nodded at the group and left. The entire group relaxed as soon as the door shut. 

"Well he brings life to a party doesn't he?" Tony asked, draining his soda. "That stuff is foul with out gin in it." Tony made a face. 

Steve shook his head and chuckled. He dropped down onto an empty chair. "I'm sorry your lives have all been put on hold."

"Are you kidding, a paid vacation, on Fury's orders, no less? Man, get pregnant more often." Clint said, a smile a mile wide on his face. "Plus bonus, I get to keep him around for a while longer." Clint said bumping Martin's foot with his.

Martin smiled, "And I don't have to worry about something impromptu coming up next week."

"See all happy, wait Tash? All happy right?" Clint back pedaled. 

"I've got no complaints. The three of us can blend well enough to get anything we might need during our vacation."

"Or I can have Happy get anything we need." Tony added.

"We'll set up a rotation." Steve said. "None of us are going to deal well with staying here indefinitely. We'll get tired of each other at some point." Everyone agreed. "Do we have everything we need for the next few days?" Steve continued.

"We should." Bruce answered.

Steve looked at Clint, "Do you need anything?"

Clint raised an eyebrow, "Oh no. Check up after but if I'm on a mission I'm not going to drop by for one, so it will only reinforce appearances."

Steve figured he'd check again later when it was just the two of them. He tried to think of what to do next when his stomach growled. Everyone laughed. 

Tony patted Steve's shoulder, "Come on let's feed you. Eating for two and all."

"I already eat enough for three." Steve grouched as he walked into the kitchen. 

Tony just pulled the fridge open while saying, "So we up it to four and see what's what."

"Guess someone should grab a couple pregnancy books." Steve said off handedly. 

"I can have the top three delivered in an hour, sir." Jarvis offered. 

"Is that a good idea?" Steve checked. 

"Adequate precautions can be taken. Sir employs several thousand people. Curriers are among them. They rarely know a packages content."

Steve felt better about that. "Maybe we should move to another property after a few days. One that people don't know is yours."

"We can figure it out later. Food now."

"You don't have to take care of me, ya know. I'm not saying you can't," Steve said quickly when he saw Tony's back tense. "Before all of this, we had to remind you to eat, to sleep. Don't change who you are for me."

Tony finished making the first sandwich before he spoke. "I don't want to be like Howard. I don't want my... our" Tony corrected himself, "kid to grow up hating me. No hate is to strong of a word. I'm mostly ambivalent about Howard with a few flashes of other emotions. There were a few nice times. But even when he complemented me, he twisted it. When I found the formula for the vibrainium," Tony tapped the reactor, "he said I was his greatest creation. Not his greatest joy or some other sentimental idea. Creation, and it irritates me. Then it irritates me, that it irritates me. I don't want the kid to feel like I do."

"Tony they won't because you know what it's like." Steve wrapped his arms around Tony's waist, "You know, so you'll do things differently. But don't change so much you end up hating yourself. The thing isn't much bigger than a pea at this point, let's try for walnut before we have any break downs." Steve joked. 

Tony laughed, "Here eat, so it can get that big."

Steve ate the sandwich while Tony made three others. "So the doctor thing?"

"We could ask Bruce."

"He hates it when we do that." Steve reminded Tony.

"True but I doubt he'd hold a grudge about this."

Steve acquiesced. If the WSC was after the baby, the number of people they could trust was limited to the number of people in this house and a handful outside. "Can you get anything he would need? Never mind I forgot who I was talking to." Steve shook his head.

"Yes and I'd probably make half of it anyways just so I'd know it was safe. Quality control isn't what it use to be." Tony said stopping before the rant slipped about the amount of recalls other companies have had. SI has never had one recall and Tony was very proud of that.

"You just need a reason to build something." Steve chuckled. 

"No I've got things to build. Trust me there will never be a time I don't have twenty projects I could be working on. Just sometimes I don't want to so, I don't."

"Will being here put you behind?"

Tony shook his head, "No. Well maybe but Pepper will understand. I've got nothing demanding on the burners right now. Stop worrying. That is my job."

"As of you don't have enough already?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow. "'Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist' now worrier?"

"Nope, have to re-work it now. Genius, billionaire, Bonded worrier, philanthropist. Not a playboy anymore."

"Oh, um yeah." The smile on Steve's face tilted towards goofy.

Thor came in and pulled a bottle of juice from the fridge, "Has all been settled?"

"I don't know about all, but some." Steve said.

"You are happy, yes?" Thor asked.

"Yes." Steve shrugged but carried on, "Would I prefer this to happen the way it did when I was growing up? Defiantly but then Tony would be the crazy uncle not the awesome dad who will help make the best science fair exhibits, help Tony, not do everything." Steve looked at Tony, "Am I scared, a little. But no more so than anytime I've gone into battle or even back in the alleys of Brooklyn."

"Thor buddy, can I ask you a favor? Only as a last resort if we need it."

"If it is with in my ability to grant." Thor answered, waiting for the question. He was certain he knew what Tony was going to ask. He had planned to speak to his father with in the week about it.

"If the WSC goes nuke Manhattan again with Steve would it be possible for him to have the baby on Asgard? Your mom's the goddess of mothers right, he'd be in good hands? Safe?"

"Tony, I don't need to go to another planet. Everything will get worked out." Steve protested. 

"Says the man with a plan that just asked me about moving houses. I'm just going bigger." Tony countered.

"I had already made plans to speak to my father as soon as Director Fury left us this morning. I see no issues. We still owe your world so much after the damage Loki has wreaked here. Heimdal is ever watchful, I'm sure he already knows and may have spoken to my father."

"Wouldn't Heimdal know what the WSC is up to, to know if this is a big misunderstanding?" Steve asked, his voice showing the hope he'd always hold for humanity to show its good side. 

Tony fell a little bit in love with him, and that scared Tony to death.

Thor shook his head, "While he sees all he doesn't watch all. If he'd known he could have watched for it. It is like seeing a play with several actors on stage. You see everything, but you do not see the actors hands shake with fear as they sing for the first time. The excitement of the lesser players for a chance to be on stage. The resentment of someone passed over for a larger part."

Steve nodded, he understood. Even if Heimdal had been watching he wasn't a mind reader. They would have to say something to someone directly for him to know. 

"So why would he know about it now?" Tony asked. 

"He watches us when we are away from Asgard. Loki was able to vail himself or we would have know of his duplicity sooner." Thor explained.

"Ah." 

"If Father does not agree, I have comrades on other worlds who would be of assistance. And my mother would help wether Father allowed it or not. Childbirth is her purview and he can not meddle there. But I do not think it will be so."

"Good. One less thing I have to worry about." Tony said smiling, "he's calling me a worrier now."

"You always seem worried my friend." Thor said with a grin.

Tony started to argue but Thor raised his eyebrows in mock challenge and Tony huffed instead. "Fine I'm a little Italian grandmother."

Steve chuckled. "I'll get you a nice frilly apron."

Tony just stared. Steve smiled and ate his sandwiches. 

There was a knock an hour later and it was quickly decided Martin would answer it. The delivery boy held out a clipboard and a plain box. Martin signed, using an old dead alias. The only person who knew of its existence had been Phil Coulson. Martin went to the patio and handed Tony the box. 

"Your mom books are here." Tony said dropping the box on Steve's legs. 

Steve flashed red but set out to open the box. "Did they take this thing to the post office or something?" Steve grouched.

"Why?" Bruce asked. 

"It's covered in that brown tape they use to use, the kind with strings in it." Steve explained as he finally got a finger in to pop a seam.

Clint smiled and laughed. He liked when Steve talked about the past without sounding melancholy. They all did.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised  
> MORE! :D  
> I haven't abandoned anything.  
> I'm still working on it all.  
> Some plot bunnies just chew on my brain more than others.  
> If you haven't figured it out yet, my plot bunnies are cannibals. Or wait just carnivores because I'm not a plot bunny...

Dinner later that night was steaks on the grill, a pasta salad Martin had made and various vegetables Bruce said would be good for Steve. 

There was more music and laughter in the mansion. Someone (Clint) set out a rather large set of Card Against Humanity and the group spent hours trying to see who could make Steve groan the worst or turn the brightest shade of red. It turned out to be Natasha, something about eight ounces of sweet Mexican black tar. 

The second day was similar to the first, food, relaxing with the others and books. Steve would read a few chapters in one pregnancy book or another, then switch to a fiction book for a bit, then more baby information and then a history book. Around the second reach for the history book, a hand wrapped around his. Steve followed the arm up to Tony's shoulder and over to his face. The look Tony was giving him was that of concern.

"I've seen you sit for hours reading one book. You've flipped through six in the last two hours."

Steve ran a hand over his face, “Oh, um I guess I couldn't concentrate."

“You feeling alright?”

“Oh yeah, just…” Steve let his shoulders slump. “It’s just a bit to take in. Have had almost a month and its still…”

“Trust me I know,” Tony knelt next to Steve. “There is still time.”

“Yeah, I just can’t. Even ignoring being Catholic, I can’t.” Steve set his hand on his stomach, something he had been avoiding since all this started.

“I get it,” Tony reassured Steve, “I just want you to be sure.”

Steve huffed a short laugh, “Is anyone ever sure?”

“No, I don’t suppose they are.” Tony laughed, “Come on, lets go for a walk.” Tony stood up and reached out for Steve’s hand. 

Steve set his book down and took Tony’s hand. “Thought we were avoiding the public?”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t walk around the grounds. This is a pretty big estate.”

Steve nodded and fell silent, following Tony’s lead. It was a good fifteen minutes before Steve realized Tony’s hand and his were still twined together.

“This was the house I grew up in,” Tony offered a few more minutes. “Actually was born here to, in our room. I don't have many found memories here.”

“Then why come?”

“To try and change that?” Tony shrugged. “It is where I built my first engine, first circuit board, hell even where I snuck my first kiss. But none of that has to do with friends or family. I don’t want that for the baby. I want it to be happy, and as healthy as can be. I want she, him, whoever to never question their place in the world. To never have to wonder if I like them, let alone love them. But I’m a shitty person. I will forget school trips, concerts whatever. I’ll end up down the rabbit hole trying to figure out how to push the Quinjet just a little faster, how to make your suit bulletproof not bullet resistant, how to make Natasha’s Bite usable in the water or one of a million other things that will run through my mind on any given day.”

swerve nudged Tony’s shoulder with his, “So you'll have Jarvis set reminders, I’ll come remind you. When they're older they'll understand better that maybe you’ll miss a school event in order to save the world. We’ll figure it out.”

“I just wanted you to know, fore warned and all that.”

Steve nodded, “I’ve been warned. It’s not like the baby’s going to have a typical childhood anyways. They'll live in one of the tallest building in New York, surrounded by people who met because of an alien invasion. Their,” Steve stopped for a moment, “their mom will be a guy born in 1918, who lived through the depression and fought in World War Two after their grandfather helped gave him a serum to make him healthy. They are not going to know what normal is.”

“Okay, true, all of it is true.” The pair started walking again, hands still twined together.

“Any names you are partial to?” Steve asked.

Tony wanted to mess with Steve and same something off the wall like Beatrix or Braylon or something but he didn’t, Steve voice was awfully small and timid for the topic. “No, I was thinking about that. I figured if it was a boy you would want to name him James, or well something to do with Barnes. And I may have assumed you would want to try to work in the Commandos in some way.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Pretty sure you're going to be doing all the work here, Cap. You get to pick, I might ask for veto power. Keep you from doing something evil to the kid like making them a Junior or ya know…”

“So your all right with me naming the baby after my best friend and any of the Howling Commandos, but not after either of us?” Steve asked confused.

“Well, I guess Steve Rogers Junior isn't that awful.”

“Why couldn't it be Tony Stark Junior?”

Tony wrinkled his nose, “No kid wants to be named after me.”

“Your kid might,” Steve mumbled. 

“You’ve got most of a year to figure it out,” Tony offered. “Besides, they might be a girl then you've got the whole Sarah or Margaret slash Peggy argument.”

Steve bit his tongue, Tony was trying very hard not to include any of the people in his life. He understood Tony staying away from Howard. It was an old fashioned name now, with no updatable nickname, and their relationship had been awful for Tony. But Steve knew that he was close to Jarvis and he hadn't mentioned him once. They kept walking and Steve felt he knew the names he was going to choose. James Edwin or Margaret Anne, he wouldn't be mean enough to feminize Edwin, instead using Edwin’s wife’s name.

“How long do you think I should fight?”

“I think that is a Bruce and baby doctor question. I want to say never but I know women serve in the police and fire departments for a few months. And we might get lucky and not get called up until after.”

Steve raised an eyebrow, “You really think we’re that lucky?”

Tony sighed, “No, it’s a nice dream but no.”

“Who do you think we should talk to? I don't think we should use anyone at SHIELD, not if Fury is worried about the WSC.”

“Another Bruce question, he will know someone we can trust. If he doesn't he will know someone who does know someone.”

Steve nodded. He knew there where probably a thousand other things he should be asking Tony but he couldn't find the energy to ask. They had walked the most of the property and were heading back towards the house, Steve could smell the wood and greens Thor was using for fuel to roast the pig. His stomach growled lightly. 

“That your way of telling me I need to feed you?”

Steve laughed, “Maybe, though I think I can handle it on my own.”

“And if I want to take care of you?”

“I might let ya.”

Tony smiled at the Brooklyn showing through. “Then I guess I better get to it before you change your mind.” They found most of the group around the table munching on a party tray of some sort with meat, cheese and veggies. “Snack on that while I make you something a little bigger.”

“This is all right for now. Dinners not that far off.” 

Martin had offered to make hand made pizzas for everyone. He had asked everyone’s favorite toppings and made all the dough last night so that it had plenty of time to rise and rest. Steve had seen the gleam in Clint’s eyes when Martin mentioned working in a pizza parlor as a teenager. 

“I could start them now,” Martin offered. “I can start one of yours now, then cook everyone else then your other ones after. I mean its pizza, the food that is acceptable to eat after sitting on the counter all night.”

“Yeah what’s with that?” Tony asked.

Martin laughed, “Mine is not to question, mine is but to do and eat.” That got a laugh out of everyone.

“Pizza wasn't a thing yet,” Steve said reaching over and dipped his carrot in the blue cheese dressing, “I had something like it in Italy during the war, but it wasn't really anything like what you have now.”

“Aren't you glad you're here to try it now?” Tony said off handedly. Then he turned and looked at Steve, “Wait, you are glad to be here, right?”

Steve shrugged at first, “I mean, yeah, of course I am. It was hard those first few weeks. Knowing everyone was gone, that Peggy wasn't likely to remember me. Trying to learn all the new technology that I had too just to make it through the day; phones, computers, even debit cards. I never wished I hadn't made it, but I might not have been overjoyed by it.” Steve jerked his shoulders up again, “Maybe if I hadn't just lost Bucky it wouldn't have been so awful.”

Clint looked at Steve and wondered, “You and Bucky, you guys a thing back then?”

Steve shook his head, “No, he was my brother, or as close as I was going to ever get. Knew he was handsome,” Steve huffed a laugh, “all of Brooklyn knew he was handsome, but no.”

Martin hip bumped Tony out from in front of the refrigerator where the engineer was looking a little green and pulled the stack off pizzas out. “Turn the oven on to 400 for me?” Martin asked.

Tony shook his head and set the oven. He was a little worried, okay a lot worried, that Steve was more depressed then he was letting on. Had SHIELD bothered to get him any counseling of any kind? Did his emotions play into the whole change situation? Did his grieving push his body to give him the family he'd lost? 

“Tony?”

Tony spun around to find Steve reaching out to set his hand on his shoulder, Tony jerked back with a flinch but grabbed Steve’s hand quickly when Steve tried to pull it back. “Sorry, guessing you said my name more than once.”

“Yeah couple times.”

Tony smiled again, “Brain, big maze sometimes, get lost in it.”

Steve tipped his head to the side, not wanting to call Tony on the lie. 

“Nope, serious, lots of thoughts up here,” Tony tapped his temple.

Steve leaned in so that only Tony could hear him, “Tony, I’m not sure about other people’s bonds but I’m pretty sure ours, goes both ways. You were worrying.”

“Oh, well yeah, I was but thats nothing new really.” Tony added the new news to the list of abnormalities that made up Steve Rogers.

“Why don't you go to the workshop, go unwind for a while, I’m going to go sketch for a bit,” Steve suggested. Tony hadn't tinkered with anything or planned anything for days now.

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’m very sure,” Steve turned Tony towards the door and pushed gently, “go, get out of my hair for a bit,” Steve added a soft laugh to make sure Tony knew he wasn't upset with him. He could still feel the echo of Tony’s concern. He had an idea what it was about.

The rest of the group watched the two but kept any comments to themselves as the alpha left the room.

“Okay that was weird even for him,” Clint said when he was sure Tony was out of range.

“He’s worried about me, understandably. I’m not, I don't know, I have a lot going on.” Steve tried to explain.

“Think he was worried about you being depressed,” Martin asked setting the extra large pepperoni pizza on the rack.

“Yeah, certain of it, I’m not going to say I'm not depressed but I’m okay. Doubt anyone being in a comma for 66 years would be happy go lucky coming out of it. Not going to do something stupid, so no one has to worry about that.” Steve smiled and laughed again, “Can’t do anything stupid, Bucky took all the stupid with him.” The looks around the table made Steve laugh again, then tell them all about his last conversation with Bucky before he found him on that table in Schmidt’s lab.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a shorty

“Sir, Agent Martin would like you to know your pizza is ready.”

“All right, save and lock it up.” Tony bounded up the stairs to the kitchen. Steve had been right, he'd needed a little time on his own. He'd also done a little research and a few bondmates had reported the link going both ways. So while it was an anomaly it wasn't unheard of. That had made him worry just a little less.

He walked into the kitchen to see Steve sitting on the counter holding string, it took a moment for Tony to realize he and Clint were playing the simple came of Cat’s Cradle. The string was twisted into one of the most complex mazes he'd ever seen.

“Hey Tony,” Steve smiled. “I think Clint is going to win.”

Tony shook his head, “There’s supposed to be a winner in that?”

Steve shrugged, the smile still in his eyes. “Maybe not, but if there is he’s it. I can only do about three of them. Monty could do eight, I think. Clint's got a dozen.”

Natasha leaned against Tony’s shoulder and whispered, “He’s talked about the Commandos all afternoon. I have a feeling he's been bottling it all up because he didn't want to burden anyone with the stories. But with Martin’s paper it was an opportunity to talk to someone who at least had more than a passing knowledge that they existed.”

Tony had tried to give him that with his dad’s shop, maybe that had been enough of a catalyst. 

“Someone said pizza?”

“Behind you,” Steve tipped his head towards the table. 

Tony found pepperoni and mushroom pizza. He smiled before rubbing his hands together, “Come to poppa.” He felt the flutter of something and figured it was Steve reacting to the words. “Sorry,” he heard just before Clint chuckled.

“You two decide who’s getting called what?” Clint asked pulling the string free from Steve's hands.

“What do you mean?” Steve asked shaking his hands after having the string around them for so long.

Clint wrapped up the string while shrugging, “Who’s dad, who’s Pop, or Da or whatever.”

“No,” Tony said around a bite, “Steve can barely come up with names for the kid.”

It was Bruce who asked, “What did you pick?”

“I haven't yet, maybe James for the first name if it’s a boy. Um, we wanted to ask you if you knew anyone we could trust.”

“For your obstetrician?” Bruce ran a hand over his face, “I think I know someone. I would double check that she doesn't have SHIELD ties, but I’m sure she will be great. Georgina Masters, she's got an office in Midtown.”

“Jarvis?”

“I will alert you when the check is complete sir.”

Steve dropped a hand on Bruce’s shoulder, “Thank you Bruce. I wouldn't even know where to start.” 

Bruce blushed at the attention. “Oh you would have figured it out.”

“Captain, you ready for another pizza?”

Steve shook his head, “No, I’m good. Thank you they were all very good.”

“No problem, it was nice to work out a little tension with the dough,” Martin’s laughed, “and to see that one covered in flour,” pointing to Clint.

“Hey, no fair you covered me in it.”

“Please tell me you washed the counter before you rolled out the dough?” Tony moaned.

“Jackass,” was Clint’s only response.

The night turned to more games, everyone quickly learned not to give Bruce any Draw Fours during UNO, and that playing Yahtzee with Clint was like going to Vegas with Rainman. And everyone vetoed Monopoly outright before Tony could even finish the word.

“So this is what the Avengers do on vacation? Play board games?” Fury asked leaning against the doorframe, leather coat and all.

“At night,” Tony offered. “Do we have news, or are we just keeping up with our creep factor skills?”

“Both, the members of the WSC I have talked too are not planing on being stupid enough to take on their own team. There are two others I need to check with so stay low unless other wise needed. Agent Callahan if you could drop by tomorrow with a brief of your mission, a verbal briefing would be best as your team is still in the field.”

“Yes, sir,” Martin nearly sat on his hand to keep from saluting, that and the desire to kiss the grin off Clint’s face.

“I’ll drop by when I know more.”

“Steve suggested we move to a location not known to be mine.”

“I’ll find you,” Fury left with a trail of leather.

“Really wish he wouldn’t,” Tony said to himself.

The next day went pretty much the same, food, games, and in general the team enjoying their downtime. Thor said the pig would be finished mid morning the next day, so the evening was spent fixing food to eat with it. 

Steve swore he'd peeled more potatoes today than he had the entire time he was growing up as a poor Irish immigrant’s son. It seemed everyone but Tony had a receipt for potato salad. There was also a Waldorf Salad, baked beans, a quinoa salad, plus deserts. 

The pig was laid out on a table near the patio, Tony shook his head at the shear size of it. "I'm guessing that even with Steve and Thor's appetites that a huge chunk of this pig is going to be donated to a local soup kitchen."

"T'would do good for the food to go to those in need," Thor nodded. 

"I'll," Tony started to say something then changed his mind, "well, I'll have Jarvis make some calls." 

"Of course, sir."

After that everyone gathered around the table covered from end to end with food.


End file.
